Cumulus academy
by Kawaii Kitsune Cub
Summary: Well, now that Kurama has passed the spring spirit's test, will they get home in time for Christmas? And what about the second term? R
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: I really, really would like to say that I owned Yu Yu Hakusho. But if I did do you really think I would let Cartoon network edit it so much as to completely butcher it? Nah. Didn't think so.  
  
Author's note: You might want a dictionary ready 'cause you might not understand some of the words. By the way, the characters ages are between 15 & 16. (Except for Hiei. How old is he?)  
  
"You have been charged with the delicate and dangerous task of finding the source of the demon energies around Cumulus academy. If any of you wish to turn back now, I wouldn't blame you." The serious message could be deemed as ridiculous considering the messenger was a toddler. " Dude! It's just a school! What could go wrong?" Yuske asked into the compact mirror/phone. "And it's not like we could get back home anyways." Kurama added dryly. The fox had spoken truly, for not only were they on unfamiliar ground without a map, but the border lines between the spirit realm and human world were notoriously fickle to travel in. Yuske shoved the sleeping (and drooling) Kuwabara to the other side of the seat in order to access the radio controls.  
  
Hiei sat in the front passenger seat, sulking. The vertically challenged fire demon had been like that the entire trip. Earlier that day, when Kuwabara had tried to lighten the mood with a little game of "I spy" Hiei had set his jacket sleeve on fire. So, Yuske was a little more than cautious when he reached forward to change the station from the extremely depressing classical music to something more cheerful. The driver, one of the many demons from Koenma's court, turned up a dirt path to a small cottage.  
  
Hiei got out and stretched, leaving the other three spirit detectives to grab their stuff, and his. Right away he hated the place. As a young demon he had never gone to school, he had taught himself to read and write. But the cheerful cottage with its lively garden looked more like a prison to him each passing moment. Suddenly he wondered if he was even needed on this case or if Koenma was trying to get back at him for setting the young prince's favorite hat on fire.  
  
"Well.Uh.it's nice." Kurama tried hard to be polite and hide his disgust, until he saw the gardens. Kuwabara wasn't as subtle: " But, it's purple.". And truly, the inviting cottage was purple, a nice lavender shade with plum trimming and a lavender screen door, and purple flowers in the purple flower boxes, with a plum tree in full harvest in the front yard and. well, by now you get the idea. "I'm sick of it already." Hiei said in his usual sullen tone. "We'll get used to it. It's only for a few months." Kurama tried to make the best of the situation. " Yeah, but it's so. purple." Kuwabara repeated again.  
  
"Do I have to get all the bags by myself?" Yuske walked over with his duffel bag and backpack and knocked on the door. A short, plump woman opened it. "Oh! You're the new students! Welcome! I'm Erica. Here, lemme get that." Erica grabbed both of Yuske's bags and gave him a rib-crushing hug in welcome. As she bustled into the house, Yuske shrugged at his friends, who sweatdropped. "Eh heh heh.."  
  
As soon as they stepped in the door, Erica grabbed their bags and brought them upstairs. "Maybe could you four be a couple of dears and help move the furniture from that room down the hall? I'm sorry that it's so hectic here, but it's like this at the beginning of every school year." Hiei shrugged and flopped down at the kitchen table, loath to move. That is, until a small hand grabbed him by the ear. "Move it boy, the least you could do is help out." Hiei looked up at a six-foot tall young, blonde woman. And boy did she look pissed. "No." Hiei replied. The woman twisted his ear a little. "Ow! Fine wench! I'll go!" Hiei sprang up and using his amazing speed appeared upstairs. Turning to the rest of them and in a kinder tone the blonde woman said, "I'm Rachel, your new teacher. Now move your little arses and help out." Walking upstairs, Yuske couldn't help but say, "Is it just me, or is she almost as bad as Genkai?" "I heard that! Extra work tomorrow for you, boy!"  
  
Upstairs, Kurama caught sight of Hiei fighting with a human girl. The two were in a vicious argument, and he didn't quite think breaking it up and playing peacemaker would work here. When the fire demon was just about at his breaking point did Kurama intervene. "Hiei, why don't you make yourself useful and help move this stuff, or is it too heavy for you?" "Don't start, fox. She started it." "Well, you made fun of Salvatore!" The girl yelled indignantly. "But the thing is stupid-looking." "Grrrrrl." "Don't growl at me, bird." "I don't blame him!" "Just get that multi-colored feather duster away from me you twit." SLAP Hiei didn't even see it coming. The girl got him on the cheek with a god- like speed. Yuske looked from behind the bureau he and Kuwabara were moving just in time to see Hiei being bitch-slapped by a fifteen year-old girl. Females really were the more deadly of the species. He couldn't even hit Hiei when he was serious.  
  
Turning around in a huff, the girl walked smack into Kurama. "Oh, um excuse me ma'am." She muttered without looking up, then stopped and poked Kurama in the chest. "Uh, I mean sir! Sir, yeah! What was I thinking? Eh-heh." The kitsune smirked and replied, "Don't worry, I get that all the time. And you are.?" "Oh! Um, Lyra. 'Scuse me, I gotta go unpack my stuff." The girl squeezed past Kuwabara and the bureau, opened a door by a couple inches and slipped in. The outraged Salvatore shrieking all the way.  
  
"Weird kid." Kuwabara said after they had set up the furniture in the boy's room. Hiei "Hn"ed and sat on the window sill, watching the gulls wheel in circles at the beach that was connected to the cottage's back yard by a winding staircase carved out of the cliff wall. (A.N: Cripes, was that a run-on sentence if I ever saw one. Please pardon me if the descriptions get a little long-winded. . How 'bout that girl Lyra, though? Don'cha think she's a bit smitten? ^__^). Yuske elbowed Kurama in the ribs. "So, ya turning on the old charm again? That was quick, less than a minute!" Kurama merely shrugged and continued putting his clothes away. Kuwabara pulled out a few electronics and said, "She thought Kurama was a girl. She was probably embarrassed." "Like you didn't when you first met him?" Yuske quipped and jabbed a finger at "him", a.k.a. Kurama. "Hmph." Kuwabara now pulled out a ridiculous cow-shaped clock. "The hell is that monstrosity?" Hiei asked the redhead, pointing to the porcelain cow. "My sister got it for me. Ain't it great? Watch!" Kuwabara pushed one of the spots (a cleverly disguised button) and set it down on his nightstand as the alarm sounded off. "Great, Kuwabara. Now shut it o-" "Moo-ooooove your ass outta bed! Moo-ooooove your ass outta bed! Lazy bum! Moo-ooooove your ass outta bed! Lazy bu-" Yuske hastily shut the alarm off. "We have to wake up to that every morning? You're gotta be kidding me!" "Oh rapture." Hiei sulked from his perch. The cow clock with the stupid Chinese accent would die, tonight.  
  
Now that everyone was all settled, Yuske got out the only thing that would make the next few months bearable. Reaching deep into his duffel bag, he pulled out a roll of duct tape. "What's that for, Hirameshi?" Kuwabara asked, pausing his CD player and putting down his comic book. "Watch!" Yuske then began to separate the room into four equal sections using the tape as a borderline. The silver duct tape ran over the rug, up the wall, and onto the ceiling. "There!" He proclaimed, obviously pleased with himself. Hiei just glared. Kurama looked relieved; though. "I was about to do the same thing, Yuske." The red-haired kitsune took a roll of duct tape out of his own book bag. " You three better not get any of your mess on my side, got it?" Yuske and Kuwabara nodded with a couple random agreements. "Good. I'm going to study, so please be a little quieter than usual.YEOWCH!" A brightly colored fluffball flew through the window and got itself tangled in Kurama's hair. As Kurama got the little bugger untangled, Yuske grabbed the tiny slip of paper tied to its leg. "Dinner downstairs now." He read aloud. "Woo-hoo! I'm starving!" Kuwabara sped downstairs, and only just managed to avoid Rachel. The young woman seemed to be expecting him, though. "Waitaminute, Wait a minute. What are those?" "Uh, my hands." "And what are they?" "Uh." "Filthy. Go wash your hands now. And get under those nails. You too Hiei, Yuske. Oh, and where could Kurama be?" "Right here." Kurama said as he walked downstairs, the furious Salvatore in his grasp. The fox managed to fake a smile, until the tiny parrot drew blood. "Ow! Damn." Kurama sucked on his finger to stop the bleeding and Salvatore squirmed out of his hands to fly to Lyra. The black haired girl had her long hair up in a braid and was busy bringing out dinner. Kurama grabbed a huge pot of something or other from her grasp and caught a whiff. "Roasted sweet potatoes, my favorite." Lyra looked up real quickly and just as soon positioned her eyes on the ground while blushing. "Yeah, I know." "Huh?" "Oh! Uh, nothing! Nothing! I just heard you say that. Uh, I'll go get the chicken."  
  
As Lyra grabbed the giant chicken from the trivet, Salvatore started to squawk quite loudly. "What do you mean by I can do better? Do you not like him or something?" "Squawk! Queeeeek! Queek! Queek! TCH!" "I do not!" "Chit!" "NO, I didn't say that!' "Queek! Ch!" "I wasn't thinking about it either!" "SQWUAK!" "Liar." Lyra quickly stopped arguing with Salvatore because Yuske was looking at her as if she should be in the dorms for the extremely dangerous, which they already were in. Innocently whistling, she set the stuffed, roasted bird (not Salvatore you sickos!) on the table and scurried to her seat. Everyone was already seated and Hiei was about to dig in when Rachel slapped his hand. "Have you no manners? A prayer first. And Salvatore, that goes for you too!" "Grrrrrll." the lovebird had almost managed to get a few bites in before the "EVIL, psycho-witch teacher" stopped him. Rachel gestured over to Erica, whom was seated at the other end of the long table. "Erica, will you?" The plump, middle-aged teacher smiled and nodded. "Of course my dears! Ah-hem!"  
  
"May the earth bring you prosperity,  
and happiness too.  
May the goddess bless our lives  
With friendships that are true."  
  
"Amen." Lyra, Rachel, and Erica finished. Salvatore bowed his little feathered head and softly cooed. Hiei shrugged and grabbed some dark meat. Kuwabara didn't wait much longer and piled a bunch of mixed veggies on his plate. Yuske grabbed a sweet potato from the platter and piled on sour cream, chives, and a small pat of butter. Kurama looked around to see if it was okay to eat, as Rachel and Erica still had their heads bowed and Lyra only blushed when he looked towards her for a hint. "Grrrrl." Kurama looked behind him to see the growling lovebird digging into a small dish of vegetables by his perch. He shrugged and snagged a sweet potato and a drumstick. 'Amen, I guess.' He thought as he started to eat his first meal at his new home.  
  
Well? Not bad for my first fic, huh? What? You think otherwise? How dare you!  
-_-+ Well, whether you do or ya don't, review so I can know! Please! I want to know if 1) the Yu Yu gang are out of character 2) The language is too hard to understand or if the paragraphs are a little long-winded  
  
3) You hate seeing Hiei being slapped around a little, but thought it was pretty damn funny. Hiei: No its not! You're making me look bad! KKC: Face it, dude. You are bad! Hiei:o.0;;; Thanks. I think.  
  
4) The story is plain stupid  
  
LemmeknowLemmeknowLemmeknoooooooooooow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If you don't, I'll sick my little brothers on you ^__^ Kidding Even I wouldn't wish THAT on somebody! 


	2. First lessons

Disclaimer: I really, really would like to say that I owned Yu Yu Hakusho. But if I did do you really think I would let Cartoon network edit it so much as to completely butcher it? Nah. Didn't think so.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Wake up you lazy bum! Moo-ooooove your-" Hiei stalked over and whacked the cow clock evilly on it's little ceramic head. Despite all his strength, it didn't even crack. Kuwabara was already up and dressed and was now trying to wake up Yuske. "Rise and shine, Urameshi!" He yelled with a dopey grin on his face. Yuske opened one eye and retorted, "Good mornin' John-boy! Now shut the heck up so I can sleep!" He finished his remark with a thwap to Kuwabara's head.  
  
Kurama was downstairs eating breakfast and reading a good book. A cup of tea was put down in front of him and he thanked whoever it was without looking up.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Oh, it was nothing!" Lyra shook her head, Salvatore doing a weird impression of his owner from atop her shoulder. Still smiling, Lyra poked him in the beak and slipped back into the kitchen. Kurama looked up with a puzzled expression and shrugged. Lyra wasn't bad or anything, he just wished he knew more about her besides her first name and that little, feathery cling-on. But her shy attitude was intriguing him, and he knew she was either a first timer when it came to having a crush or an experienced temptress. Sometimes it was like she could read his mind.  
  
Lyra checked the surrounding auras in the house to check who was up. Everyone, that made seven people. Sometimes she wished her younger sister was around to help with  
  
the cooking. Breakfast wasn't really Lyra's specialty. She was better at lighter meals like lunch and dessert. Lark loved fatty foods and as such, loved to cook them. Holly was a pro at mixing drinks. Together, at their old school, the three had whipped up many prize-winning four or five course meals for special events and dinner theatres.  
  
Choosing to do breakfast the easy way, she heated up a dozen or so bagels and muffins. While bringing out the jam and preserves, she ran into Hiei, literally. "Jeez, I'm so sorry. I'll wash that shirt for you after breakfast, just leave it on my bed. By the way, could you bring these out to the table?" Hiei gave his usual reply of "Hn" but grabbed the various jars and plates anyways. "Oops. Almost forgot! Here!" Lyra opened a drawer and got out a bunch of spoons. Seeing as to the fact that Hiei's arms were full, she stuffed them in his mouth, much to the way a dog carries a stick. "Fmph! Mou mwenph!"  
  
" If you just mumbled what I think you did, don't be surprised to see that nice white shirt dyed pink when I'm through washing it!" "Grrmph" "March soldier!" "Minph!" Hiei stomped out to the table, much to the bemusement of Yuske, Kuwabara, and Kurama, set up the condiments, and flashed upstairs to go change his shirt.  
  
Rachel stormed into the dining room. "What are you three doing lolly- gagging? Your lessons start now!" Kuwabara looked around. "Hiei, Urameshi, me and. Hey! Where's Kurama?" Rachel glared at him. "Nitwit! Kurama is waiting for you guys! We can't start the lessons until all of you are present." With a quick motion, she shooed the boys out of the house and into the backyard.  
  
"Each of you will be given a personal teacher, of which has already been assigned. The list is as follows:  
  
Kurama- Rachel for herbology  
  
Yuske- Senior Ryo for astrology and Latin  
Kuwabara- Laird Michelangelo for fighting techniques  
Hiei- Djorn for fire manipulation Please enjoy your lessons for today, the classes about every two days or so. Goodbye." With that, Erica bustled off to god knows where, leaving the four students to wait for their teachers, except for Kurama. Yuske poked him in the ribs and smirked. "Tough luck, Kurama. Too bad you got stuck with Rachel. But astrology and Latin is probably just as bad." Hiei snorted and said, "Like I need to learn fire manipulation. watch this." With a glare he set a bush on fire. Just as quickly though, a blue flame blazed up at his feet, which caused him to jump at least a foot.  
  
"Cute, boy, but no destroying public property when I'm here." A sooty gray centaur stepped out of the forest shadows. At the same time, a very old man wheeled up the path in a wheel chair. What surprised them the most; though, was a walking dog skeleton that nudged Kuwabara's hand. Kurama stood up and  
bid them goodbye before he scurried off to his lessons.  
  
"You old coot! There's no way I can understand this!" Yuske yelled in frustration at his ancient teacher, but Ryo seemed to have drifted off into la la-land while the young boy struggled with the Latin scriptures. "Hey! Are you listening?" Yuske shook the old man's shoulder and was startled to see Senior Ryo fall out of his wheelchair and lay motionless on the floor. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Shit! I killed a teacher!" Yuske panicked and looked for a phone, emergency flares, anything that would get a teacher there quick. Frantically he spied the messenger pigeon's coop. Well, at least he thought they were pigeons or birds of some sort. But when he opened the thickly meshed screen door he was met with at least twenty or thirty huge bats. Yuske stifled a scream and quietly shut the door before the furry little creatures could wake up.  
  
"WhatdoIdoWhatdoIdoWhatdoIdo." While poor Yuske pulled his hair out trying to figure out a way to help Ryo, a wrinkled, cracked hand touched his shoulder. "It'sh all right, shonny boy." The old man gave Yuske a snaggletoothed grin and was suddenly swept up in a burst of blinding lights. In the old geezer's place stood a young man. He was incredibly boyish and his ears were slightly pointy. Ryo then burst out laughing. "How do you like that trick, Yuske? I always like to play pranks on my new students." "H-how?" Yuske stammered. Ryo chuckled some more. "You won't be learning just Latin here my boy, oh no. You will also learn illusionary magic like the spell I just used." "Ryo?" "Yes?" "Die you pointy-eared freak!" The spirit detective got the elfish man in a headlock and tried to strangle the poor teacher.  
  
The two walked down the path in silence, except for the clip clopping of Djorn's hooves. The dapple-gray clearly was a skilled master in the fire arts, which was ironic considering that horses were supposed to hate fire. Hiei resisted the temptation of setting his "teacher's" tail on fire. He was probably twice as old as the centaur.  
  
The silence was really getting to Djorn's nerves. Usually when he had a student he had to cast a few silencing spells on them to keep them quiet. The fire demon traveling with him made him more than a little wary of his surroundings. Needless to say, he was glad to see his familiar workshop and scoop. (A.N.- it's kinda like a ditch, but you can fold a roof down over it or leave it in the open. With the roof down, it's like a house. Sorry for "Borrowing" your idea, K.A. Applegate) Back with reality, Djorn waved a hand over to his home. "Your lessons will be outside. I hate stuffy classrooms myself."  
  
Hiei was caught a little off guard by the proposition of outdoor lessons. The entire area was flammable and therefore would catch fire easily if the caster was careless. Djorn obviously liked the idea of learning from mistakes when it came to teaching students. "To test your abilities, I've set up a test." The centaur pulled a bundle of papers from the bag slung about his waist. Hiei groaned, thinking it was a written test, but was again surprised to see Djorn chant a few words and throw the papers into the air. Automatically, the sheets started to fold themselves into little paper airplanes. Djorn gave the miniature squadron a few minutes to get situated and fly out of reach before telling Hiei his instructions. "Burn every one of them to ashes before they reach the ground. No using your sword either. If even one scrap touches the ground, you lose points. You have three minutes to destroy all one hundred. Begin."  
  
Kuwabara skittered away from the intimidating skeleton. It had probably been thrown together from the bones of many different canine corpses. The legs were short and stocky, its tail was whip-like, and the jaws were long with sharp teeth. In the skull's eye sockets were two green glowing orbs. Kuwabara pulled out his spirit sword and slashed at the terrifying beast. Although the sword had not actually hit the dog, the shock wave after was powerful enough to cause it to fall apart. The bones shook and clattered into a small pile and the green lights in the sockets went out. "Oh Yeah! Who rocks! Huh?" The red head picked up a black leather collar from the pile of bones. The tag read: Bones, owner: Laird Michelangelo. "Oops! Bones, huh? Guess ya must've been the guy's pet. Sorry, nothing personal." Kuwabara patted the skull affectionately and started towards the direction that "Bones" had come from, whistling.  
  
Kuwabara was so intent on finding the Laird and apologizing about the skeleton that he didn't notice the green lights rekindle and the demolished skeleton floating up. The heavily toothed skull sped after the dimwitted dope, not even letting its other parts catch up long enough to reattach. You see, the dog had been sent by Laird Michelangelo to guide Kuwabara to its owner. and Kuwabara had gotten it so angry, Bones decided to give the new student a piece of his mind.  
  
The forest was never ending and Kuwabara was getting pretty peeved with all the quiet. Suddenly the bushes rustled and a spindly demon-thing jumped out. "Finally! Some action!" Kuwabara brought out his spirit sword and gave the thing a very powerful slash from neck to the middle of the waist, followed by another killing blow that separated the body into to pieces just around the waist. Instead of spilling it's guts; though, out spewed insects and black smog. It was all he could do to keep the contents of his stomach from surfacing as the rotting corpse crawled on it's belly and grabbed hold of his leg.  
  
"EeeEEEEeeeeeEEww!!! It's all decomposing and rotting and stuff!" Kuwabara franticly shook his leg, desperate to get his icky assailant to let go. The horrible creature then started to liquefy, all over Kuwabara's new jeans. More desperate to save his pants than secure information on what the thing was, he quickly cut the monster's arms, letting the torso drop to the ground and shriek in pain while thrashing the stubs it's arms used to be. (If you've ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, imagine the black knight after King Arthur cut off all his limbs. Then replace the Black knight's bleeding torso with that of a zombie from the Resident Evil series. Yuck.)  
  
Kuwabara used his spirit sword to skewer the remaining pieces of rotting flesh and dissipated the energy blade, letting the rotting pieces fall to the ground. "Gross." Kuwabara was almost over his case of the jitters when a disembodied voice started them anew. "And that was just a little one, Kuwabara. Stay there until Bones comes and finds you." The redhead stopped shivering and apologetically called out, "But I killed him! Sorry about your pet, sir!" "Once something is dead, it cannot die again." The voice seemed to come from Kuwabara's left and he searched the nearby bushes. A skeleton dropped down from a tree and scared Kuwabara out of his wits (not that he had any to begin with. he's just a goof.). "Didn't I tell you to stay where you were?! Now sit down and be a good boy." Kuwabara did as the voice said, sensing that this thing, whatever it was, was his teacher. "Yessir!" he shouted as he plopped down onto an old, petrified tree stump.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rachel wasn't as bad as Kurama thought at first. Sure, she was still strict and wouldn't accept anything but the best, but that was only within reason for a respected teacher such as her. Being so strict, though, only made Kurama's task even more difficult. Having to repot any carnivorous plant was tough, but having to repot one that looked like something right out of Little Shop of Horrors was even worse. The kitsune had dragon hide gloves on that barely protected him from the two-foot terror. Quickly, he switched the tape in the cassette player to side B and pressed play. If it weren't for the music, the little bugger in his arms would make sure he didn't have much of his limbs left. Sighing in exasperation, Kurama thought about the twenty other Venusian Mauler seedlings he would have to repot tomorrow. At his current rate of five plants per lesson, it would take forever. Some of the other students had it worse than he, and were still repotting their first seedling. One girl had gone to the infirmary with a 'Mauler clamped onto her arm, up to her elbow. This group of advanced students Kurama was in would be working with these particularly aggressive breed of plants for the entire year. "Oh, joy." He muttered under his breath, as the vicious little beast spread it's roots out and screeched while Kurama roughly shoved it in it's newer, bigger pot. To his relief, the bell rang and the fox slid his plant onto a table with the other four he had previously repotted.  
  
Rachel smiled at him and said, "Don't worry, Kurama. I'll bring these buggers out back. You go back to the cottage and have lunch. Thank the goddess that school's out today." "Thanks, Rachel. See you later." Kurama hung his gloves up on a rack and left the greenhouse in a hurry.  
  
About five minutes down the road, Kurama saw an unusually cheerful Yuske run out of the Northern Tower where his Latin and Astrology classes were held. Yuske ran over to Kurama with a dopey grin on his face. "What are you so happy about?" Griped the tired fox. "Huh? Oh! We were studying different ways on how to use spirit energy to effect people's moods." Yuske chattered. "And I was the test subject for most of the class, actually." His expression changed to some form of normalcy. "Look's like it's wearing off." Kurama dryly stated, and continued at a faster pace. Yuske hurried up. "Hey! Dude, What's wrong?" Kurama carefully unwrapped the bandages from his arm and showed Yuske the damage. All along his arm were bite marks and thin red lines and welts. "Whoa. what did Rachel do? Tie you down and beat you?" "We were repotting Venusian Maulers. Apparently they have poison stingers in their roots." "That's some plant."Yuske reached into the cottage mailbox and took out the set of spare keys. Before he could unlock the front door, Lyra opened it and shooed them in. "C'mon, lunch is ready. Everyone else got here a while before you did." Yuske noticed she looked a little uptight and nervous. "What's wrong?" He asked. "The headmaster is here for lunch."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Duh-duh- dun! * cough * sorry! I'm just so happy! I got reviews! Yay! * does the happy dance* Although there are only two for now, I hope more will start reviewing this fic. Review if you want to point out anything out of character for the Yu Yu Hakusho gang. I'm trying to be as accurate as I can. Oh, and as I stated in the note on my first chapter, How old is Hiei? I'm really curious about that. Oh well, guess I probably won't be finding out anytime soon. Anyways, Sayonara! I'm off to reward myself for another chapter written with a King- size bar of Ghiridelli dark chocolate! Bye! 


	3. Hiei's crappy night and the strangest pe

Disclaimer: I really, really would like to say that I owned Yu Yu Hakusho. But if I did do you really think I would let Cartoon network edit it so much as to completely butcher it? Nah. Didn't think so.  
  
On with the fic!  
  
The Headmaster. lord of Cumulus Academy, literally. As the two entered the dining room, they were surprised to see that the headmaster of the academy was actually pretty young, not he old geezer they had expected. Hiei was already sitting at the table, but instead of eating the fire demon was.reading? "Now that's something new." Yuske said as he sat down next to Hiei. Calmly, the youkai replied, "Homework. Why bother reading for pleasure?" Kurama looked up and was about to protest, but the headmaster intervened. "Now, I beg to differ."  
"Beg all you want, doesn't mean I'm gonna listen." Lyra walked in, loaded with a couple plates of food. Bending down, she whacked Hiei with a dish she was passing to Yuske. "Don't talk like that to Headmaster Givanni!" Hiei merely growled and rubbed his head where the ceramic dish had mercilessly whacked it. "Humans."  
  
At this, Rachel swept in and grabbed Hiei's ear. "You! Upstairs until you can be civil!" Hiei grimaced and broke out of her grasp. "No. If you don't like me, ignore me." Everyone merely stared and shrugged. "Okay.", "Yeah.", "sure", and other replies followed. Hiei plopped right back down and took a bite into his sandwich. Tasting it for a moment, he decided it needed a little something. "Hey, pass the ketchup." He said to Yuske. The Japanese boy carried on his conversation with headmaster Givanni without paying any heed to the agitated demon. "Hello? Pass the ketchup, boy!" After a few more tries, Hiei knew he would be better off talking to a brick wall. Reaching over Kurama's plate, he snagged the bottle himself and got a thwap from Rachel. "Ask next time!" Hiei; however, was too busy trying to get the ketchup out of the damned bottle. Angrily, he pounded the bottom lightly with his fist. When that didn't work, he looked up the neck of the bottle, only to have the stubborn condiment spill all over his face. "Beautiful."  
  
Upstairs, Kuwabara was busy reading one of the books from his favorite manga series. Halfway through one of the most exciting scenes, someone knocked on the window. "Aww. Kagome and Inu-Yasha were about to make up." (Hee! I love that series!) Surprisingly, Botan floated on her oar outside. "Hello Kuwabara! Koenma sent this letter to you!" The blue-haired girl handed him an envelope and zoomed off into the sky, throwing a quick "Good-bye!" over her shoulder. "Weird. why didn't he just phone us?" Kuwabara puzzled over this as he opened the envelope and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "What the.?"  
  
Kuwabara was still puzzling over the "letter" when Kurama came back up to the room. "What do you have?" the fox asked. Kuwabara threw the paper over his shoulder and flopped back on his bed. "Koenma sent it. probably a prank." Kurama walked over and picked the sheet off the floor. The blank paper instantly filled with flowing, golden words. The fox read the letter aloud. "Dear Yuske, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara, I hope you have enjoyed your time so far. I know the teachers and students may seem a little strange, but they're good people (and boy can they cook!). Anyways, things seem to be a little more out of hand than we thought, so we're sending another spirit detective over there soon. He might be new, but I'm sure you know him. See ya later, Koenma."  
  
After dinner, Yuske read it aloud to himself and tossed the sheet of paper over his shoulder. "What a load of crap. We can handle most anything that comes our way." Hiei snagged the letter before it hit the floor and scanned through. "This new guy better not screw anything up." Hiei said, crumpling it up and tossing it towards the wastepaper basket, missing by a foot. In a clatter and clack of bones, a familiar dog skeleton shot out from under Kuwabara's bed. Whipping his bony tail around, Bones happily tossed the crumpled letter up in the air and caught it again and again while Yuske, Kurama, and Hiei sat there, staring. "Kuwabara. what is a living skeleton doing in our room!?" Yuske hollered. Bones jumped and hopped up over to Kuwabara's side, his jaws chattering as if whimpering. "It's a gift from my teacher. Bones here is supposed to keep an eye on me while I'm at the dorm." Kuwabara explained the day's lesson while trying to calm down the mixed up dog. er. skeleton. Kurama grabbed his jacket and massaged the bridge of his nose. "I have an idea, why don't you tell me in the morning? It's pretty late. G'night."  
  
"If it's that late, why is Kurama going out?" Kuwabara wondered aloud. "It's a full moon, dope." Hiei mumbled from under the covers of his own bed. "Wha- Oh yeah! Night you guys!" Bones climbed over to lay across his master's chest and get himself comfy. Yuske was sitting cross-legged on his bed, still asleep from where he dozed off during Kuwabara's recollection of the day's event's.  
  
Lyra sat on the balcony attached to her window. She repeatedly tapped her pencil against the wooden railing and stared out over the ocean. Having no idea what to draw, she just doodled. Suddenly, a white being appeared down by the water. Lyra just stared and took in the long, flowing hair and silvery tail before flipping to another page and hurriedly sketching. In less than a minute, she finished the basic form and started on miniscule details. As if she/he had heard Lyra, the figure turned around to face her. The figure was definitely a man, but not just a mere human. She had been lucky enough to spot a kitsune. She quickly flipped another page and started sketching the kitsune at lightning speed. Oh, wouldn't her sister be jealous!  
  
Hiei tried to sleep, but his amazing hearing caught up every little sound. In the bathroom next door, someone had left the faucet on. Not more than ten feet away, Kuwabara was snoring like hell, and upstairs, the furious skritching of a pencil ensued. Hiei was about to storm upstairs when he heard a sound that really caught his attention, a consistent rumbling that was underneath and almost hidden by all the other sounds of nighttime. He couldn't tell what it was, just that it was coming closer to the house with each passing moment. Cautiously, he stalked over to Yuske and thwapped him in the head. "Awp! Hiei! What was that for?" Yuske complained as he struggled to sit back up. Hiei merely cocked his head and replied, "Do you hear that?" "Do I hear what you sonnova- The hell is that noise!" "Listen. Wake up Kuwabara and the two of you meet me downstairs. I'll go inform Rachel and Erika." The demon seemed to disappear as he hurried to the two teachers downstairs.  
  
Yuske grumbled and in turn whapped Kuwabara. The taller redhead woke up with a start and asked what was happening. "Long story. Just get downstairs where we can confront that thing." Kuwabara groaned and shuffled down the hall, yawning and rubbing his eyes. A tremor shook the house and the two sprung alive, running the rest of the way and downstairs. Erika and Rachel were hustling out the door and Yuske and Kuwabara followed. Hiei stood outside, shocked and surprised. For rumbling up the dirt path was a strange beast indeed. It seemed to be rotting flesh with mechanical parts attached. The monster rolled up on it's tank track torso and glared with glowing red eyes. Hiei was undoubtedly awestruck, if not a little disgusted by the lump of a corpse. "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into.?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yay! Finally! It took me hours to write that, mainly because I was fooling around on my mom's computer and downloading Anime music videos and other niceties on Kazaa. I got a Trigun clip that is a music video to Kid Rock's song "Cowboy" (Gawd, I love that song!). Another favorite is "Autumn in Ganymede" from Cowboy Bebop. Yes, I like stories focused on such topics like bounty hunters and western deserts as opposed to Sailor Moon and Love Hina. Oh, and this is supposed to be a cliff hanger. But you'll get to see what Lyra can really do in the next chapter.  
  
Remember; review and your health will be insured. 


	4. The night walker and the new arrivals

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't belong to me. But the academy, Lyra, the teachers, and all the gross, icky, rotting monsters do ( Tch. Yeah, like I'm real proud of them.).  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?" Hiei could only stare as the massive creature rolled up to the cottage on its tank treads. Yuske and Kuwabara could only stare as it leveled its cannon arm and charged up a shot. With a roar, a sizzling ball of energy shot out and raced towards them, only to be stopped by a wall of light. Kuwabara glanced down to his left to see Erika muttering under her breath, struggling to keep her barrier up.  
  
Rachel helped beef up the defenses with a wall of thorny vines. The beast raised its cannon again and shot out another energy ball. Apparently having enough with long-range attacks, the behemoth charged forwards and slammed against the wall. Foot-long thorns tore and ripped at the rotting flesh as it raised both cannon arm and clawed, decaying limb. Yuske flinched back as the barrier illuminated the assorted ickyness that splashed up against it.  
  
Lyra was awake and focused as soon as she felt the first rumble. The telltale shimmer of a defensive barrier surrounded the building. She was still able to spot the white kitsune; however, until it dashed away down towards the cliff. The smell then hit her and she instantly knew what her attacker was, an undead monster. Hastily, she tossed sketchbook and pencils inside and shut and locked the glass-paneled doors. Hopping over the balcony railing onto the roof, she ran over to the front of the house. There was no way she'd let the guys have all the fun.  
  
Kurama smelled the creature even before he was in his full demon form. Wandering alone on the beach, he felt tempted to just leave the fools to deal with the beast on their own. But that was before he saw it heave itself at the erected wall, a horrible creature for which there was no name. He wasn't even sure it was alive, but nothing that hideous could possibly be of this world, or any other for that matter. Sighing in exasperation, Youko Kurama literally flew up the wind swept staircase.  
  
The stench hit him only halfway up the towering cliff, and almost caused him to pass out. Kurama tied his jacket around the lower part of his face to block out as much of the deathly smell as he could, and continued upwards. The thing was even more horrifying up close, as it tried once again to storm the thorns and force field. Decayed flesh left in its wake, its arms wildly flailing at the shield. Already a few hairline cracks were appearing. he would have to act quickly, if at all.  
  
"Dude, it's giant!" Kuwabara stood alongside Yuske, his Spirit Sword unleashed. The cracks in the shield were widening with each swing of the monster's massive arms, and Erika was too weak to create another one. Rachel's thorns were in disarray around the front yard, the drive was churned up by tank treads, and the trees out front were vaporized by the cannon blasts. "We have to get out to stop it, but the damn shield won't let us through!" Yuske griped, in position to shoot his Spirit Gun. The spirit detective spoke too soon; however, as a clawed arm broke a hole about ten feet in diameter in the barrier. The light field shuddered for a moment, then collapsed. Kuwabara leapt forwards into the fight. "Now's our chance!"  
  
Lyra watched as the white kitsune raced to her roommates' aid. She was waiting on the roof until the thing let down its guard, but that seemed impossible. It was taking on Yuske, Kuwabara, Hiei, and her sketching model without breaking a sweat, unless you count all the vile stuff dripping off of it as such. Yuske shot out his spirit gun while Kuwabara and Hiei went in close for physical attacks. The kitsune pulled out a rose whip and literally ran circles around the behemoth, slicing and dicing away. But all was in vain. No amount of physical cuts and blows would stop this opponent. In quiet contemplation, Lyra sat in the shadow of one of the cottage's gables and planned out her attack. Rachel and Erika had definitely weakened the zombie-ish monster down with their overwhelming defensive shields, as its flesh was torn in ribbons all around its body. It barely had enough energy left to fire two or three cannon-blasts, and the four fighters were way too fast. But with all their speed, those four foolish boys would tire out soon.  
  
Having decided on a plan, Lyra began to summon up her strength in preparation for her attack. It was almost humorous to see one young girl, calmly sit for a minute and meditate, admidst all the fighting and turmoil. Of course, as soon as you saw the rain clouds move in and water welling up from the ground, it wasn't so funny. The ground turned to mud, and even the kitsune was having trouble moving through the stuff. Yuske and Kuwabara were starting to get pulled down into the muck and Hiei was slowed down enough to get a face-full of metal and flesh. Tank treads tore hopelessly at the soft earth before sinking into the waist-level mud and muck. Gears stuck, limbs flailed, to no avail. By the time Lyra's roommates and the demon-fox managed to pull themselves out of what had once been a dry lawn, the living, decaying tank was too stuck to move.  
  
"The hell wuzzat?" Yuske said, as he fished his sneaker out from the muck. Lyra hopped down from the roof in one graceful motion, and slipped in a puddle. In a second, she was sprawled on the muddy ground, her jeans and shirt getting extremely dirty. "Eww." She grabbed the closest stable object (Youko Kurama) and awkwardly pulled herself back up. "That was an undead. what you guys were sent to stop. Ugh! Grossgrossgross! This stuff is disgusting!" She pulled a clump of mud from her long, black hair and continued her speech. "That little storm was compliment of yours truly." Lyra did a quick little bow and almost fell over again. A clawed hand reached out and grabbed her arm, preventing the fall. "Oh, thank you.Whoa! Uh.um.Mr. Fox-dude, Sir." "No problem, girl. Next time, why don't you make it rain a little less? This mud isn't the best for your health." "No, I suppose not. I have an idea! Why don't we all go inside, have a nice cup of tea, and go to bed. Of course, you don't have to, sir." Lyra nodded her head at the white kitsune. Mentally, Kurama chuckled. Lyra had no idea who he really was. Although it would be better that she didn't know, he would have liked to see her reaction to his condition.  
  
The tea was of an unusual sort. As Kurama sipped it gently, he tried to separate the flavors of the different herbs. Lavender, rosemary, spearmint.raspberries? .He wasn't really sure, but the broth was delicious. The rain had soaked him to the bone and the warm tea and roaring fireplace was quickly warming him back up. With a tad of irritation, Kurama smoothed the fur on his tail. He had been the first to get in the shower that he and his three male roommates shared, and Lyra had been kind enough to lend him a hairdryer. His fur dried, but became extremely fluffed up. I look like a goddamn poodle! Taking another sip of tea, the miffed kitsune grumbled about how cheap American products were and settled himself into a more comfortable position on his over-stuffed armchair.  
  
He must've dozed off, sitting by the fire, the warm mug in his hands. Because when he woke up, sunlight was streaming through the living-room windows, the fire had died down to smoking cinders, and his half-empty (Or half-full if you happen to be in a more optimistic mood) mug of tea was ice cold (Well, not really. It's certainly warmer than ice. *KKC gets whacked over head by an annoyed and cranky Kurama for spoiling his morning gripe and for being so optimistic* Ow! Okay, Okay.shutting up!). He seemed to have reverted back to his normal human form during the night. There was the clattering of pans from the kitchen as someone hurried to make breakfast. Kurama stretched and the quilt covering him fell onto the floor. Grumbling, he checked his watch. 6:30. Who in their right mind would get up so early when there weren't any classes or whatever? Back at home he relished being able to sleep late on the weekends, much like anyone else would.  
  
Stumbling out of the arm-chair, Kurama stretched and yawned before staggering out to the kitchen to make some coffee. Lyra was already busy making home fries, bacon, and sausage. She glanced over at Kurama, smirked at his stoned expression, and asked, "How do 'ya want your eggs?" Kurama yawned again. "Over easy, please." He stumbled over to the counter. There was a pot of coffee already made, so he grabbed a clean mug and filled it. After adding a little sugar and cream, he took a small gulp of the warm liquid. "What is in this?" He asked Lyra. "Huh? Oh, it's a special blend I buy online. Chocolate-covered strawberry." She scooped two eggs off the griddle, along with a small heap of home fries, three bacon strips, and two sausages, and slid the across the table in front of Kurama, the smell was enticing. Kurama grabbed a fork and knife from the silverware drawer and a napkin from the holder on the table before digging in. He started on the sausage, which was also filled with sharp cheddar cheese, and moved on to the home fries soon after. Lyra sat down across from him, a mug of steaming coffee in hand. "Hungry, eh?" She took a sip, but almost fell off her chair when the doorbell rang.  
  
Lyra stalked over to the front door and looked out of the peephole. Suddenly, she opened the door and squealed out "Good Morning!" to the guests, two other girls. The three began to talk so fast, Kurama couldn't make out what they were saying. The newer girls came in, bound down by suitcases and a broom. O-kaaay.weird. Lyra bounced over to Kurama and began to introduce him to her friends. "Oh, Kurama! This is my sister Lark," She pointed to a girl that was barely a year younger than herself. Lark was dressed as fashionably as her sister in low jeans and a flowing shirt with Grecian-style sleeves. Her hair was loose, except for two braided sections tied back into a ponytail in the back. A silver pentacle on a leather cord served as a necklace, and a silver-chain was around her waist like a belt. Kurama shook her hand, and was surprised to see a small, gray mouse scurry down from behind her slender neck and up onto his arm, where it twitched it's whiskers and bowed it's furred head. "-and this is Holly, my best friend since I first took classes here." Holly bowed her head in welcome. She was quite tall for her age, and her red hair was tied in a short ponytail, choppy bangs covering her green eyes. She was wearing jean shorts, and a red Tee shirt. Around her neck was a hawk's feather tied on a silken cord. She was carrying a broom over one shoulder, the Holly twigs crooked and going in all directions away from the Ash handle. A yellow messenger's bag was slung over the same shoulder so that the pack itself rested on the opposite hip. A yowling sound came from the bag as a black cat peeped its head out. It comically tilted its head to one side as it stared at Kurama then disappeared back in the bag, the bell on its collar tinkling. Holly blushed, "I'm sorry! Kyuro has been acting a little weird lately, he's not too fond of flying in such cramped conditions." "Uh, I see." Kurama finished his breakfast and cleaned his dishes while Lyra and co. got reacquainted. Hiei wouldn't be too happy about the arrival of more students.  
  
And was he right. Hiei immediately stormed downstairs to confront the girls about this problem, and was immediately sent back upstairs soaking wet, bruised, and with a red hand print across his face. "What got at you?" Yuske asked as he stumbled out of his shared bedroom. Hiei gave his usual "Hn", but set Yuske's boxers on fire as he walked past. Still smirking from hearing Yuske scream bloody murder down the hall, the short demon bumped into Kuwabara, who was curiously trying to find out what was wrong with his roommate. "Hey, what happened?" Hiei shrugged and replied, "Curiosity killed the cat, you know." Kuwabara blanched and sped off to the kitchen for breakfast.  
  
"Thanks, Lyra." Yuske told the water-manipulator, who had extinguished his boxers. He headed back upstairs amid the giggles of the three girls to change. Kuwabara strolled into the kitchen, grabbed a mug of coffee, and gulped it down before noticing Lyra, Lark, and Holly. "The hell? Who invited you two?" he pointed to the two newcomers as soon as he noticed them. "These two are my sister and best friend, Lyra and Holly." She explained in a miffed tone (Having had to explain it for the fourth time that morning).  
  
Kuwabara sheepishly apologized and shook hands. "I'm sorry. Lyra, you never told me you had a sister." "You didn't ask, did you? Oh, good morning Rachel!" Lyra waved to her teacher. "Yeah, good-fricken-morning. Can't I get any sleep when those two come to visit? So much goddamn noise over a pair of girls." Rachel angrily drained the last of the coffee into her cup and stalked over to the dining room table to drink. "Uh-huh. Hey, how's Erika?" Kuwabara asked politely. "How do you think? She's getting too old for this stuff. Be about a hundred and ten next month." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A few minutes later, after she had had her fill of coffee, Rachel started to act like her usual self. "Hiei! Kuwabara! Get ready to work outside, we need to clean up the damage caused by the thing. That includes pulling it out of that muck, so wear your crappiest and dirtiest clothes. Yuske, stop slacking and do the dishes! Lark, Holly, put your stuff away and help out. And put that rodent away, will you? It's unsanitary!" Ah, yes. another morning at Cumulus academy. A bossy teacher. chores. intelligent rats. and a two-ton tank to pull out of the mud. Lovely (Can't you note the SARCASM there folks?).  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'm so sorry! * Gets on knees and begs forgiveness from readers* My parents took me on the vacation from hell to Virginia! Imagine! No computers! Dried vomit in the otel that was supposed to be a Clarion! A sixteen hour road trip with the dreaded future fanfic author Fangirlitus (My step-sister) without a CD player or gameboy (Batteries went dead, I forgot to recharge them)! And then another trip the same length on the way back! Oh, and we got hit by a comatose driver on the way back and had to chase the all around exit 88. That's just the tip of the Iceberg, though.  
  
When I got back from Virginia, I suffered writer's block and Kitten paws. If you're unfamiliar with the latter, it's when two eight-pound cats sprawl out on your keyboard, fall asleep, and refuse to move (I only hope those scratches won't scar). Anyways, on a better note, I'm trying to write good quality stuff here. I don't know about you, but I got pretty hungry when describing the breakfast scene between Kurama and Lyra. *Sob * Over easy eggs, homefries, Bacon, cheddarwurst, toast, coffee. *drools * I never get breakfast like that! (Not with Kurama, I mean. that'd be impossible, but I can still dream! I just never have time to have a full meal besides at dinner.) Oh and there is chocolate-covered-strawberry coffee. When we visited my mom's friend in Virginia (A chocolate freak if you ever saw one. The neighborhood kids love to visit her house, she gives the stuff away for free. She has an entire kitchen decorated in Chocolate stuff.), she served us that same coffee, chocolate-cheese and crackers, and king-sized bars of Hershey's Dark chocolate. It's a real bummer we won't be going back anytime soon. -_-*  
  
To cut to the chase, I'm gonna update about every week so the next chapter will be of good quality and you won't flame me for being so lazy. If I manage to do more than that, well. Um. Good for you, then. I guess. Arrrrrrrrgh!!!!!! I'm going brain dead! Too many book reports!!!! *cough * Ho-kay! See you later!  
  
K.K.C. 


	5. Cleanup crew

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. I do own pillow, though! And it's a fluffy pillow too! ^_^  
  
I've decided to add something new so that you can look forward (like you already don't) to each new update, a quote of the week! * echoes* Anywho, here it is: "Another difference between men and women is that whenever you turn on the TV, 99% of the time something bad happened, a man did it. In a time of weakness it seems men are in charge of the greed, the power, the money, and the scams where as women seem to be in charge of the nurturing and the loving and the peacemaking in this world. Simply put, Women good, Men bad. I mean, when was the last time an unidentified serial killer was on the loose and you said, "God, I hope they catch her. how can I rest when that mad woman is on the loose!" But you know what? They always catch him and its always a guy and I'm always going, "That was our team, that was us. We batter call a meeting."  
-Rex Havery Now on to the fic!  
  
Finally, the gaggle of students managed to get outside and get a good look at the damage. That.thing. was still stuck in the muck from last night, the once perfect lawn was a mess of overturned mud, the roof needed patching, and the plum tree in the front was splintered. "Eeew." Lyra carefully picked her way across the yard. "Well, the good news is, we can probably move this without too much trouble." She kicked the ten-foot cannon sticking out. "Too bad it sunk so far in, though. That'll slow us down a bit. Holly, could you go get your broom?" The witch nodded and ran back in the house. Lyra ran to the garden in back and came back with a length of thick rope. When Holly came back, the two girls worked at getting a secure knot around the mechanical monster and tying it tightly to the slender broom. Meanwhile, the boys stood back and chatted. "So that's what happened. I knew I felt something wrong about this place last night. Holly and I could feel it all the way in the Human world, where we stayed at her summer home. Did you guys take it down?" Yuske and Kuwabara glanced at each other. "Well, uh." Yuske began. "Uh. yeah, sure!" Kuwabara struck a pose. "Yeah! We did it! We're spirit detectives after all! Heh-heh."  
  
"Oh, really. So you're saying you guys sunk a gigantic monster in a giant puddle of mud instead of using your Spirit gun, Spirit sword, Rose whip, or the Black dragon darkness wave.right. Feeling creative last night, were we boys?" Lark turned her head to survey Lyra and Holly's attempts at freeing the decayed beast and drop it out far at sea. "Well, uh. Damn!" Yuske stammered, then kicked Kuwabara in the shins for being such an idiot. Kurama; however, was more impressed with Lark's research on the four. "So, you've heard of us before?" Lark gave a thoughtful nod before saying, "Yeah, my dad used to work for King Enma, so I can usually find out what I need from Prince Koenma. Him and me sometimes E-mail each other, though I haven't met him in person. I heard you guys are his favorites." Yuske chuckled, "Then aren't you in for a surprise."  
  
Holly desperately tried to get her broom to pull her load out of the mud, but it kept on sinking back in. In exasperation she yelled over at her chatting roommates. "You guys! Help me out here! Ack!" The monster sank back down into the muck another few inches before Holly could react. Hiei glanced over at his friends then sighed at their total lack of attention. Stalking over, he grabbed the thick rope in hand and gave a mighty tug. Holly signed peace at him and continued pulling. Suddenly, another broom shot into the air and the rider tossed the end of a rope to Lyra. Lyra looked up in awe as her ancient teacher, Erika, was all right this soon. The beast below her sunk a little and Hiei had to yell at her to get moving. "You idiot! Tie that in place so we can get this thing out! I'm getting a hernia over here!" Snapping out of La-la land, Lyra rushed over and tied the rope onto a rib that was jutting out of the skin. Erika gave the command. "On three! One, two, three!" The two witches and the fire demon heaved at the same time, causing the corpse to fully come out of the muck. "We'll take it from here, Hiei." Erika told the fire-demon. Hiei nodded. "Very well." As the two witches carried their load far out to sea, Lyra came up to Hiei. "Nice job you did." Hiei "Hn"-ed and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Let's start on the lawn." When the two turned around; though, Rachel was already making the new grass come up, it spread out to the cliff edge in a soft carpet. Then she ran over to help Kurama repair the plum tree, which was already growing new branches, leaves, and tiny unripe fruits.  
  
The only thing left was the roof, which at first glance didn't look like that big a deal. A few shingles were missing from the top and where Lyra had slipped. But underneath, the problems only became worse. The roof itself was heavily damaged and needed to be patched up, then they had to put in entirely new shingles on the entire roof. That was about a good six hours if they worked fast. Yuske dropped down and pounded the roof. "Damn! When will the torture ever stop?" Lark sent him sprawling with a gentle nudge of the foot. "This isn't so bad. I've seen worse. And you've probably lived in worse places than this." Yuske sprang up and grabbed her by the collar. "And what's that supposed to mean?!" Lark casually kneed him in the groin and watched him crumple like a paper towel. "Nothing much, actually. Let's get to work." Lark summoned a strong gust of wind, which blew off all the shingles on the roof, and started to patch a particularly large hole ten feet away. Yuske struggled to his feet and down the ladder to go sulk in his part of the bedroom.  
  
It was almost four by the time they were done. Kuwabara stood up and wiped his sweaty brow. "Heh. We actually got this done pretty quickly." He said. Yuske grumbled and wiped the dirt away from his bandaged leg. "Yeah, right. if you forget the fact that I got tar spilled on me because someone - " He shot a look at Lark, who in turn looked at him with wide eyes and a pout, "- was too impatient to wait to get down the ladder." Lark shrugged and said, "You moved, didn't you? I thought you were used to rougher treatment than this back at home." Yuske lunged, but tripped over Lyra's outstretched foot. Cursing, he pulled himself back up and nursed his leg. "Oh, I see how it is now. Taking her side, huh? Well, you're going down too." An unused shingle flew by and clipped his leg with it's corner. Yuske immediately crumpled with a howl, and Lyra unemotionally remarked, "Maybe you should wait to take us down until your leg is better."  
  
The gang was taking a break from all the hard work they had done by hanging out on the newly patched roof with lemonade all around. As Kurama sipped the refreshing drink, he noticed a tiny dot in the sky that was steadily becoming bigger by the second. He puzzled over this for a while until his demonic eyesight could pick out the basic features of the intruder. He all of sudden thought about what Koenma told Kurama a little while before he went full Youkai. then almost spit his lemonade in realization. "Shit! Guys, get down! Now!" Kurama pinned Lyra to the ground and Hiei helped Lark do the same as the flying demon came into view. The winds blew at an insane force, ripping off new shingles and almost blowing the teens away before the red-headed Shinobi landed on the roof. "Hey! How are ya?!" Jin grinned toothily, then started a long-winded rant about the wind currents out in the barrier worlds (I would write it to take up page-space, but I'm too lazy right now. Goddamn demon never keeps his mouth shut, so I'd be here all night if I tried.). Yuske whipped an empty glass at Jin, stopping him mid-rant.  
  
Jin leaned over to one side and watched the glass go flying over his shoulder. "Eh? What's that for, Urameshi?" The Japanese boy pointed an accusing finger at Jin. "What's wrong? What's wrong?! You just totally trashed the roof that we've been working on for the last six hours! That's "What's wrong"! Screw this! There's no way I'm redoing it!" Yuske stormed down the ladder and had started to open the door when the unstable ladder fell, Pinning Yuske's arms to his sides. "Damn! Today is not my day!" Yuske let loose a blast of spirit energy, which disintegrated the entire ladder. Still grumbling, he stalked inside to go sulk. "Hm. In a bit of a bad mood, I'd say." Lark glared at Jin. "Gee.I wonder why?" The younger black-haired girl picked her way across the trashed rooftop, intending to slip in through Lyra's balcony. "Hi! We're back!" Holly zoomed by on her broom. Lyra waved up at her and Lark demanded an answer as to why they took o long. "Um. we went shopping!" Holly held up her fingers in a peace sign and grinned. Erika braked her broom and held up quite a few bags from the most popular merchant shops in town. Every one sweat-dropped except for Jin, who was too busy admiring the young witch. Holly swooped down a few feet away from Jin and leaned forwards to get a better look. "Oh, you must be new. I didn't notice you at first." As she slowly rose into the air she continued, "Cute ears! See ya later, you guys!" Jin just stood there, thinking that maybe this case he had been forced to go on wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
"So, how come you're here?" Kuwabara asked while doing his homework at the couch. "Koenma asked Risho to send one of the shinobi to help you guys out, and Risho decided that the only way to pick which one was to use the traditional Shinobi method." Jin said while foraging in the fridge for food. "Hey, d'ya mind if I have these leftovers? Anyways-" Jin grabbed a fork and shoved some Alfredo in his mouth before continuing. "Hm. good stuff. Now where was I? Oh, I got the shortest straw."  
"The shortest straw? The shinobi decides who goes on what missions by picking straws?" Hiei asked the Wind Master, who nodded in reply. "Yep. I'm gonna see how Yuske's doing."  
  
Jin knocked on Yuske's door and waited for the boy to reply. "What do you want Jin?" The Shinobi cautiously opened the door, constantly on the lookout for flying objects, and stepped inside. "Uh. Hi." Yuske glared at Jin while the demon faked a smile. "Um.Look, I'm sorry that I got you upset and all, but to make up for it, I finished the roof by myself." Yuske just kept glaring. "It wasn't just your fault. Lark has been bugging me lately, and you set me off. You should see the classes they make us take here." Jin nodded in agreement about the classes. "Yeah, I had the 'pleasure' of meeting Rachel."  
  
Lark held an ear to the wall, trying to listen in their conversation. Her mouse sat in the air vent between the rooms and translated as best as she could, considering she couldn't really understand Jin's heavy accent. "Oh, so they're talking about us, huh? I'll show them what a girl can really do!" Holly stopped polishing her reed flute. "Really? I'll have no part in it, then." Lark turned towards her friend. "But it'll only be harmless pranks, like the ones we pull on the other students." Holly shook her head. "Please?" "No." "Pretty please?" "No way." This time Lark went all out. "Pwetty please?" She asked cutely, puppy eyes, quivering lip, and all. Holly sighed. "Fine. but nothing too harsh. Agreed?" "Yep! Yay!" Lark bounded up from her seat on the floor and grabbed her laptop and a dusty violin case. "C'mon! Let's go bug my sister!" Holly groaned, but put her flute in its purse-like carrying case and swung the strap over her shoulder. Carefully, she moved Kyuro off her lap, and carried him in her arms out the door, locking it behind her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi! Not much to really say about this chapter, actually. But thanks for the reviews. As to the Shinobi's traditional way of choosing people to go on missions and stuff. I was outta ideas and asked my stepsister for a humorous alternative to fighting to the death and stuff (Which was what my stepbrother suggested). Um, Lark and Lyra live at the academy all year round instead of only during the school year like other students do. Their father sends letters every once in a while, but they have no idea where or who he is, since he left when their mother mysteriously disappeared. So, they're kinda like orphans. The dorm the Yu Yu Hakusho and some of my characters are in is usually reserved for students who have serious social problems, suicide problems, and. well. let's just say that they have problems. Lark and Lyra have been living with Erika and Rachel for a long time. Oh, and that locked door way back in chapter one leads to Lark and Holly's room.  
  
A.N.: Oh, and Tiger of the fire, there will be a tad of Kurama bashing later. nothing serious though. Every one eventually looks bad sooner or later. Don't like it? Tough cookies, that's just how life is. Kurama is not a god among men. He's mortal, just like everyone else.  
  
Next time at Cumulus academy.! An intruder breaks in during the middle of the night, Hiei goes down for a midnight snack, and Salvatore is finally back in the picture! 


	6. a highspeed chase, break in, and Hiei's

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.yet.  
  
Quote of the week: "Special means retarded! Special means retarded!"  
-Fangirlitis I'm going to try to add a little more humor in my action/adventure/humor fic in the next few chapters. If I didn't, my stepbrothers (the pests they are) would whine and complain and eventually lock me up in the basement with only a TV, VCR, and old Pokemon videos for company if I didn't. So for my own sake, I'm trying to be a little funnier today. This is probably going to be a short chapter, which means you guys are gonna get to read another one this week. Now let's get crackin' here, shall we?  
  
Ooh! Guess what? I made it onto someone's favorite authors list! Yay! Now if only I could get some more reviews. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)  
  
Lark pounded on her sister's door. When she heard no answer, she turned the handle and shoved it open. Immediately, loud jazz music screamed through the halls, and the two girls hurried in before Rachel could lecture them about playing music at such a high volume. Holly tripped up the stairs and accidentally bumped into Lark, who fell to the Burgundy rug with a loud thud. "Ow.klutz." The mischievous teen had managed to hurl her violin case and laptop on her sister's queen-size bed before impact, and gingerly stood up. She gave a hand to Holly, who clambered up with little difficulty. Kyuro hopped from his perch on her shoulders and immediately ran over to Salvatore's perch to pester the little bird.  
  
Lyra sat on her bed, slumped over while sleeping. Lark motioned Holly to stay where she was and crept up quietly behind the unconscious girl. Preparing a small ball of water in one hand, she moved in closer and closer until she had a good shot. Lark lobbed the sphere, which burst over Lyra's head, and ran back down the stairs before her enraged sister could catch up. She ducked and weaved past the guys in the kitchen, slammed the door shut behind her, ran around to the back and started to climb the morning- glory trellis, Lyra in hot pursuit.  
  
Back in the kitchen. "Um. the hell are they up to?" Hiei said, breaking the silence between the three boys. "I dunno." Kuwabara sat in the living room, Bones' head on his lap, writing (A/N: Ohmigod? Writing? The apocalypse is upon us!) a love letter to Yukina (A/N: Uh.never mind.false alarm). Holly walked into the slightly crowded kitchen, Salvatore perched on her shoulder and a squirming Kyuro in her arms. "Don't worry. They do this all the time. Last year, Lark hid some forest pixies in Lyra's bag. They turned out to be poisonous; though, and Lark got bitten. It was kinda funny actually." Holly stared straight ahead, remembering the deadly prank with fondness.  
  
Last August: The three girls are trekking through the woods because Lark wanted to find a good subject for a photography contest.  
  
Lark: Man. why did we even bother to go hiking up here?  
  
Lyra: I thought you wanted to get some pictures of the river nymphs to enter in that photography contest.  
  
Holly: Like you guys couldn't have asked a few to show up and pose.  
  
Lark: But it wouldn't have been fair to the other contestants if we did that!  
  
Holly: Since when did you care about the other contestants?  
  
Lark: Ever since I.since I. damn you.  
  
Holly: Exactly! You dragged us up here to annoy us, didn't you?  
  
Lark: Uh.  
  
Lyra: Well?  
  
Lark: Um. no?  
  
Lyra and Holly: * stop on the trail and glare at her*  
  
Lark: I didn't do it just to bug you! I swear! You have my word!  
  
Holly: * To Lyra* Should we trust her?  
  
Lyra: * nods* Sure. Lark may be an obnoxious bitch and a troublemaker, but she's no liar.  
  
Holly: We'll help you win this contest. But what exactly are we out in the forest for?  
  
Lark: Ever hear of the deerfolk?  
  
Holly: The whose-folk?  
  
Lyra: Deerfolk. They're like centaurs, only with a deer's lower body instead of a horse's.  
  
Holly: * still doesn't understand * Oh. right. Well, how hard could it be to find one?  
  
Lark: Not very. But I'm looking for a special one.  
  
Holly: Uh-huh. Special as in, like, retarded or mutated? *Imagines a crude deerfolk with a blank look on it's face and drooling while wearing a helmet and riding in one of those small buses * Heh-heh.  
  
Lyra: Holly. Stop hanging around with those boys, they're idiots.  
  
Holly: So?  
  
Lyra: They're rubbing off on you.  
  
Holly: Hey! That's not very nice!  
  
Lark: A-hem.  
  
Lyra and Holly: *arguing *  
  
Lark: A-hem!  
  
Lyra and Holly: *Still arguing *  
  
Lark: Pay attention to me, goddamit!  
  
Lyra: It's all about you, isn't it?  
  
Lark: Whatever. This Deerfolk is revered as "The Lady of the Forest."  
  
Holly: So what makes you think we're gonna see her?  
  
Lark: I came prepared! * Lark takes off her bag and props it up on a boulder and proceeds to take out high-tech gear and photography equipment *  
  
Lyra and Holly: * Sweatdrop at the sheer amount of stuff Lark could fit into one bag *  
  
Lyra: Are you sure all that's necessary? You take awesome pictures with that camera Dad sent you.  
  
Lark: Well, its time to get professional! Come on, soldiers! Let's move, move, move!  
  
Holly: Ecstatic, isn't she?  
  
Lyra: Yep.  
  
* Hours later*  
  
Lark: I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I wanna go home!  
  
Holly: 'Ya don't say.  
  
Lark: Ooh! I know! Let's play a prank on someone!  
  
Holly: *gestures out at a meadow that stretches for miles* On who?  
  
Lark: On Lyra!  
  
Holly: How'd I know *that* was coming?  
  
Lark: I saw some pixies a little ways back. We can hide them in her bag!  
  
Holly: Oh, rapture.  
  
* Lyra has gone to go get directions so they can get the hell outta there* Lyra: So, you'll really help us?  
  
Weird elf: Oh, sure.  
  
Lyra: Great! Let's go! * Turns around and goes to head back all happy and junk* * meanwhile the elf and a few of his friends sneak up in the trees behind her. They all have really weird looks on their faces*  
  
Weird elf: So. what're you going to give us- I mean, me! In return for bringing you back?  
  
Lyra: You know.I'm not that stupid! *creates a small tidal wave that wipes the elves out of the trees, than looks over her victory with pride. *  
  
Lyra: Not helpless prey, am I? I'm sure the centaur's herd leader will be glad to take care of you guys! * walks back to meadow *  
  
* Lark and Holly are currently hiding in the bushes near a cluster of tiny, bluish pixies.*  
  
Lark: So you direct them in the bag and that's it. No strings attached!  
  
Holly: You make everything sound so easy.  
  
Lark: But this prank is easy! It'll be done in twenty minutes or so!  
  
Holly: Right. * sighs * Let's get this done.  
  
* Holly whips up a strong wind that blows the tiny pixies towards the open bag, but a stronger gust of wind blows them off course, and into Lark's face. The two-inch terrors start to bite and sting Lark*  
  
Lark: Ouch! Damn! *Starts to slap at pixies* Die you buggers! Die!  
  
Holly: Lark! Are you alright?!  
  
Lark: Ow! Dammit! Let's get outta here! * Meanwhile, the hand she was slapping the pixies with is swelling at an abnormal rate and turning a sickly greenish color *  
  
Holly snaps out of her reminiscing because Salvatore is now tangled in Kurama's hair (He flew to safety), Kyuro is trying to climb up the aforementioned kitsune's pants to eat the fluff ball, and the authoress promised a short chapter today.  
  
Kurama was busy trying to pry Salvatore's deathgrip on his hair and shake Kyuro off his leg at the same time when Yuske and Jin came down to see what the noise was all about. "Hey. What's going on he- ACK!!" Lark barreled past, knocking him down the staircase. Lyra slid down the banister like a skateboarder soon after, using Yuske's crumpled body as a landing pad. "Sorry Yuske! Catch 'ya later! Bye!" Lyra bowed her head for a second to the trampled teen before continuing the high-speed chase after her sister. Kuwabara helped poor Yuske back to his feet and propped him up on the couch. "Oy. That looks nasty. Does this happen often?" Jin asked the three stunned students in the kitchen. Holly snapped out of it answered first. "All the flippin' time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the siblings had circled the house another two or three times, Hiei decided it had to stop. Not only was it annoying, but it was almost midnight and he didn't want to listen to them slamming doors all night long. Yuske had recovered enough and the two of them schemed up a plan in the short space of time before the two sisters passed the living room again (Kurama had it clocked to exactly ten minutes and forty-seven seconds for them to go completely around the house.). Soon enough, Lark sped down the stairs and into the living room. Hiei grabbed Bones and tossed the living dog skeleton into her path, tripping her. Lyra screeched to a halt inches before slamming into the cranky demon, and hastily tried to apologize to the crew for keeping them up so late. "Uh.um. Boy, you guys look pissed." Yuske waved her off. "Yeah, being treated like a mattress can get really old, really fast. Why don't you make us breakfast tommorrow-". But Kurama cut him off. "And dinner. It's the least you two could do after keeping us up 'til Midnight." Lyra nodded. "Will do. Lark, where are you going?" Lyra grabbed her sister by the ear and dragged her back. "You're going to help too, aren't you? Well?" Lark struggled and kicked, but soon gave up. "Yeah, I will. Now let go of me!" The two hurried upstairs amid the glares of their peers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was almost two in the morning as a young boy crouched by the front door. He stroked the metal knob, always listening for a certain sound from the lock. The telltale click from the lock's tumbler pronounced his challenge complete and he cautiously opened the door. He walked through the dark living room and into the kitchen, only to run into a short-statured figure. All the intruder saw was a flash of red eyes before a blade was pressed against his throat. "What are you doing here?" Hiei asked in a clipped tone. The thief backed himself into a wall and tried to explain. "Uh. I'm here to inspect the reliability of the alarm system. Yeah! That's it! I'm the alarm-checking-guy!" Apparently gaining quite a bit of courage, the so- called "Alarm-checking-guy" lowered Hiei's blade from his jugular vein. "So, what are you doing here? Heh-heh." Hiei quickly shoved a half eaten slice of pumpkin pie out of view. "I live here, dope. Now get out before I skin you alive. Rogerik." The Fire demon smugly noticed that the student's pace and heartbeat quickened (Don't you just love Hiei's Jagan eye of his?). Rogerik paled even more and scrambled for the door, trying to get away from the blood-loving maniac that inhabited the dorm. "If you ever come back, don't be surprised to see this blade shoved down your throat." Hiei threatened, and slammed the door shut before going back to his pie.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wow. That took longer than I thought. I hope you enjoyed this, because I have two more chapters of total stupidity before I straighten back up and dive back into their school-lives and eventually, the mid-term exams. ^_^  
  
Speaking of school, I can't wait to go! I'm going to Essex Agricultural Highschool in late August. In case you don't know what school it is (If you're not a New Englander), it is a vocational school that deals with plants and animals as opposed to mechanics and technology. So while the rest of you school-age readers slave away trying to figure out trigonometry and physics, I'll be busy taking grooming and horse/reptile/bird care classes or working in the school garden. (So, nyah nyah) The best news I've heard so far this year; however, is that Harvest Moon and a brand new Final Fantasy Tactics are coming to gameboy advance this year, along with the special edition Torchic-engraved Gameboy Advance SP. (So what if Torchic's on it? Orange is a way better color than purple or silver in my opinion. I like fall colors and Torchic isn't as bad as Pikachu or Pichu.) But I'm still saving up to buy Fatal Frame for the PS2, so I'll have to pass the special edition Torchic Gameboy SP up. Not too bad of a trade, actually. I can get in a few more years on my GBA as long as my stepsister doesn't drop it off the porch like she did with my GBC.  
  
Gotta go. My mom wants her Lynard Skynard CD back, and I can't write without music. This concludes the "KKC's Random Rambling session #6". I'll update soon. 


	7. Man eating plants and pitfalls

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. *poses dramatically * But if I did.! Oh, and Fangirlitis is my sister, so I don't own her either and I don't want to.  
  
A/n: To tiger of the fire: I'm sorry if you thought I was insulting you from the last quote, but as I stated in the E-mail and disclaimer, Fangirlitis is my sister. Speaking of her, you should read her fiction, A name. It's for Inu Yasha, and would be a lot worse if I didn't proofread it for her, But I have to do something nice for her birthday or I'm grounded. Guess a plug for her fic is better than nothing.  
  
Yuske: Alright. To the few of you who decided to read the seventh chapter before the rest of the fic. well, that's a stupid idea. However, I have to narrate the last chapter for you simpletons or KKC will have my ass. *clears throat and pulls an index card out of his pocket * After a prank gone horribly wrong, the chase of the century ensue- the hell? What idiot wrote this junk?  
  
Fangirlitis: * Raises hand* I was trying to improve my writing skills by adding a few adjectives and such and.  
  
Yuske: * raises eyebrow and randomly shoots in Fangirlitis' general direction *  
  
Fangirlitis: OW! Meanie! Prepare to face the wrath of.! TYLOR!!!! * starts to speak in a guy's voice, her eyes turn purple, and she is suddenly dressed all in black and chains * DIE MORTAL! DIE! *Shoots lightning bolts at Yuske, who is cowering underneath a figurative table *  
  
KKC: *walks in to find her room even more of a mess * The hell? Fangirlitis!  
  
Fangirlitis/ Tylor: I'M TYLOR, YOU SARCASTIC FURBALL!  
  
KKC: I don't give a rat's ass who you are, just get the **** off my computer!!!!! And leave Yuske alone! *Yuske gives her the peace sign from underneath the figurative table*  
  
Fangirlitis: *Turns back to normal * No fair! You won't let me have any fun! You won't even let me kill Kurama!  
  
KKC: No. really? Why would you? Kurama rules! (Even though Genkai is way cooler! And Jin is even better ^_^)  
  
Fangirlitis: Foxes are evil. ALL FOXES MUST DIE!!!!!! * KKC gives her a running kick in the @$$ *  
  
KKC: Animal hater! Be gone and let the poor readers be! *Drags Fangirlitis out of her room*  
  
Fangirlitis: I WILL get reviewers! Watch me! I will! Then who will be doing who's grunt-work? You will spell-check and review everything that I write! You will get me coffee at six AM! You will let me have Hiei all to myself! You will- * Yuske knocks her unconscious *  
  
Yuske: Where should I put her?  
  
KKC: Basement will be fine. ACK! I just wasted over a page writing all that! Stupid sister. always wasting my time. Oh! Almost forgot the quote of the week! Oops.  
  
Quote of the week: "Well, all I have to say to all you men out there is; I'm sorry. The battle of the sexes is over, we lost."  
-Rex Havery  
  
Chapter seven: Man-eating plants and pitfalls  
  
"No way! Someone broke in? But how?" Yuske questioned Hiei. The fire demon shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast. "Well, the bloke didn't force th' lock." Jin said, the now disassembled doorknob and lock in hand. Lyra stopped scrubbing some of the dirty dishes that had piled up since late last night and asked Hiei for details. "What was the guy's name?" Hiei washed down his hash browns with a gulp of OJ before replying, "The twerp's name was Rogerik." Kuwabara nudged Bones away from the trashcan and scraped the scrambled egg off of his plate. "Man, I feel sorry for that kid. Having a name like that and being a kleptomaniac-" Lark's face paled and she grabbed Hiei by the collar of his black, hooded sweatshirt (Koenma made Hiei go shopping for "normal" clothes so he would fit in at school.). "Are you sure it was Rogerik? Not, like, Ricardo or Rob?"  
  
"Yes, it was Rogerik." Hiei calmly removed Lark's hand from his throat. Yuske asked Lark, "Why would that matter? What's with this guy that you don't like?" Lark shook her head at the teen in a pitied manner. "He was the worst. Always breaking into the girls dorms and scaring us. Taking candid photos (Embarrassing, not revealing. I.E.: Drooling, pillow fights, makeovers gone horribly wrong, pranks, and pages out of their diaries.) and selling them online." Lark visibly shuddered and continued. "Messing the place up, playing pranks on us, and he was always trying to flirt if he was caught. Oh, his pick-up lines were the worst."  
  
*Flashback to last year during girl's-night-out. The students are just getting back to their dorms *  
  
Student #1: Hey, did you hear that?  
  
Holly: Yeah. Jeez.he's back, isn't he?  
  
Student #2: Rogerik? EeeeEEeeeeew.I hope not.  
  
Lark: * forces open the pantry door * Oh no! Not you! *Rogerik waves hello, but falls over onto Lark *  
  
Rogerik: I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!?  
  
Lark: Yeah, I think so. Nothing's broken, at least.  
  
Rogerik: I'm glad, 'cause it must've hurt falling from heaven.  
  
Lark: *slaps Rogerik and storms off * Loser!  
  
*Lark snaps outta La-la land *  
  
"Geez. He really was bad, wasn't he?" Yuske asked, snapping Lark out of Flashback mode. "Uh-huh. I'm sure Hiei scared him off, though." Lark nodded in Hiei's direction. Hiei dumped his plate in with the other dishes. "Sure I did. Threatened his pathetic life if he ever came back." Jin shook his head. "No offense, Hiei. But isn't that, I don' know. kind of extreme?" Holly walked into the kitchen with Kyuro draped on her shoulders and yawning. "Is what too extreme?" She asked while rubbing her bleary eyes. Yuske replied, "Threatening this kid named Rogerik." Holly immediately snapped to attention mid-yawn and was almost strangling Yuske before he could react. "No! It's not too extreme! I don't want to ever see him again!" Kyuro arched his back and hissed at the volume of his owner's voice, and ran off to go bug the gorging Salvatore. "In fact, I'll make sure he doesn't even get to the front door!" Holly purposely strode back upstairs to change her clothes and plot her evil scheme. Lark and Lyra waved to the boys and ran up to Lyra's room. "There's no way I'm letting Holly have all the fun! See you later!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Okay, so we're going to plant a few traps and let Hiei do the dirty work, right?" Holly asked. "But I wanna drop him in a pit with ravenous Tiger sharks!" Lark whined. Lyra shrugged and grabbed one of Holly's numerous bucket hats and flipped it upside down on the bed. "Alright, this is what we're gonna do! Write down your preferred form of torture on a slip of paper and I'll pick a slip from the hat. Just don't try to kill him. Lark." The younger Admarant sister groaned, but wrote down her idea on a slip of paper and tossed it in the hat. Holly tossed in her idea and patiently waited as Lyra made a big show of pulling out one of the two slips. "And the winner is. Holly! Let's go booby trap the front yard and garden!"  
  
Lyra waited outside the green house until Kurama decided to take a break from his work and she could sneak in. Gazing at the wall of seed bins, she walked over to the fast-growing section and quickly thrust a few handfuls of the more deadly varieties into her pocket. Whistling innocently, she strolled outside and over to where Lark and Holly were carefully hiding ankle traps and a large, six by ten hole about twelve feet deep. "What did you get?" Lark asked her sister, whom produced the seeds and sorted them out. "These are Solar Creepers, this is a Carrion Vine, here's some Purple Snipers.and I have no idea what this is." Holly nodded approvingly. "Nasty. Those plants will give that jerk a cruel little surprise."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Is it me, or do those three look like they're up to something?" Yuske asked aloud. "Hm. they're always getting into trouble. One time they brought a clutch of Cockatrice eggs back home. took me forever to make the remedy." Erika said as she knitted in her old rocking chair. Kuwabara looked up from the TV long enough to remark, "Maybe it's about that Rogerik guy. They don't really like him." Bones lifted his head from his master's lap to clack in agreement. "See. Even the dog thinks so." Yuske shook his head at the redhead's stupidity. "Kuwabara, the dog's dead. How can he agree to anything?" Bones fell onto the floor and trotted over to Yuske. "What do you want, mutt?" Bones raised his hackles and went into attack position before latching onto Yuske's ankle. Kuwabara's laughter was heard throughout the house. "Hah! Serves you right, Urameshi!"  
  
Upstairs in the boy's room, Hiei sharpened and polished the blade of his katana. He carefully inspected it and decided to test it out. Target number one: Kuwabara's retarded cow clock. He had no idea how it had withstood the beatings of almost everyone in the house, but if his sword could even scratch its vile ceramic surface, he would be quite satisfied with his work. Lifting the sword high over his head for a crushing blow, he slammed it down, hard. The sword impacted with the clock and managed to chip away a few flakes of paint before it flew out of his hands and almost impaled the reading Kurama. The kitsune calmly jerked the blade out of the wall and tossed it out of the open window. Hiei scrabbled to catch it, but was too late. "Baka kitsune." He grumbled. "What was that for?" Kurama flipped a page and continued reading. "You shouldn't be destroying other people's property." Hiei "Hn"-ed and went outside to sulk.  
  
As soon as Hiei slammed the door behind him, Kurama marked his place and hurried over to Yuske's PS2. Smirking, he put in Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball 2 in and started to play through the story mode. Technically, he wasn't a fan of such games, but the youko was starting to get out more often then normal lately. He was constantly straining to hear anyone come upstairs as he managed to win game after game with his bikini-clad character. If the guys knew he was a Video game-aholic, they would never let him know the end of it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Down in his basement room, Jin tried to start up the computer. As a Shinobi, he never had much use for technology, but times were changing and the Shinobi couldn't stay technophobic forever. Besides, those games Kuwabara and Yuske played looked like fun. The computer booted up quickly enough, and Jin was thrilled to discover he had Kazaa and Internet access on it. Clicking on a few more icons, he brought up the home site to an online game called Dark Age that the previous owner must've played before leaving. Jin soon created his own online account as "Kaze_demon@AOL.com (It's a fake screen-name people, but Kaze is his real last name. I think it means twister or something.) and decided to look around Kazaa to download some music files. There was a certain band he had heard a lot of lately called Simple Plan. Even the girls, all three of them, played their CDs. Lark even had a Simple Plan scrapbook she had been putting together for over a year now.  
  
While the songs slowly downloaded, Jin decided he would go explore the grounds a bit. Stetching a tad, he changed out of his Shinobi outfit and into a pair of jeans and a tank top. It would be easier for him to walk and fit in for once. Maybe he could even make a few friends for once.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finally, after working non-stop for seven hours, the girls looked with admiration at their work. As the light sea breeze ruffled the leaves on the plum tree and their hair, Lyra grinned and said, "It looks so innocent and peaceful here.they'll never know what hit them!" The three of them looked at each other and started cackling insanely. They weren't called "The Coven" for nothing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yuske grumbled and groaned at his task, but decided it would be better to deliver Erika's letter to his astrology teacher, Ryo(Does anyone remember him?! How quickly a weekend without a school-atmosphere can rot your memory. It was only a three-chapter weekend for Chrissakes! ), than sweep the house. As he wearily trudged up to the drafty tower, he was surprised to find Jin hanging out with some of the better-known students. Lyonell was quite the joker, and his twin sister, Chrysanthemum (*groan* What a long name for such a minor character.) was always studying. Yuske had heard that the two cat-demons were in Kurama's class and had almost caused their Venusian thingamajigs grow at twice the normal rate. Lyonell called Yuske over.  
  
"Hi! What are you doing out at six in the evening? Don't you know that's against "School Rules"?" The tanned demon joked, knowing fully well no one followed the curfew on weekends. "Delivering a letter for Erika. Could I ask you a question, Lyonell?" Lyonell shrugged. "Didn't give me a choice, did ya, buddy? But, sure. Why not?" Yuske raised an eyebrow at the cat's attitude, but continued anyways. "Lyra, Lark, and Holly keep talking about this guy that broke into our dorm last night. I think his name was Rogerik. d'ya know anything about him?" Lyonell was about to respond, but his sister cut him off. "You don't mean Rogerik Lewis, do you? Ooh. He was a complete ass. Always showing off with his PK and trying to flirt with the girls. I didn't think he would come back this year after Lark totally humiliated him Last August." Jin looked a tad puzzled. "PK?" he asked. Chrysanthemum sighed and explained in perfect dictionary text, "PK, Psychokinetic power. The ability to move things with your mind. Rogerik is psychic and he breaks into houses and other locked obstructions using his abilities as a hobby." The three boys just stared. "Oh." They replied, in unison.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kurama heard someone coming upstairs and start to turn the doorknob and managed to turn off the system and TV, and rush over to his bed seconds before Hiei entered. The temperamental demon just stood in the doorway and looked over the room before asking, "What's up with you, fox?" Kurama shrugged from behind the thick novel he had hastily picked up and said, "Nothing. What are you doing up here?" Hiei "Hn"-ed and grabbed his katana from under his bed before stalking downstairs.  
  
Peeking to make sure Hiei really was gone, Kurama reached under his pillow to grab his new Gameboy Advance SP. Flipping the power switch, Kurama went out to save the continent of Blue Moon with grim determination.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lyra happily whistled as she took the marinated pork roast out of the fridge and popped it in the oven with a dozen foil-wrapped potatoes. Lark was busy typing up a new chapter for her fanfiction in the dining room. Story webs, character profiles, and previous chapters were strewn around her and her laptop. Hiei quietly strolled down the stairs with his katana sheathed at his side. "Why are you so happy?" He asked the cooking Lyra, who just shrugged and shooed her sister off to the living room to write. "Whatever. I gonna be out for a while." Lark set the table and said, "Why should I care? It's not like I'm your keeper." Salvatore was on his usual perch by the table and flew onto his owner's head. Lyra continued to set the table as if nothing had happened. Hiei sighed and was about to step out the door when Lyra stopped him. "Do you want me to set a plate aside for you?" Hiei dolefully grinned and nodded. "Sure. why not? See you later."  
  
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Almost eight, time for them to have dinner and chill out before going to bed at ten. Rogerik was curious as to what the five, newer students were doing in the same dorm as his former targets. Lyra's older than I am, and I hear she's going for this Kurama guy. Rogerik thought. Holly's familiar, Kyuro, scares the hell outta me. I hate cats. So that leaves Lark. just great. If anything, Rogerik didn't want a challenge as hard as getting Lark to fall for him. The boys in his own dorms were tired of hearing about his PK and wanted him to show them. But was unlocking a simple box good enough? Noooooo. they wanted him to break into the most heavily guarded building in the entire goddamn school. Oh well. he would wait.  
  
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Hiei sat outside on the cliff-side stairs, watching the waves beat on the rocky shoreline. Gulls screamed overhead and he caught a quick glimpse of a pelican in the middle of a kamikaze dive (I've seen them dive down. they're fast. *shudders* Damn, they're scary when they do that. Imagine if they went after people instead of fish. Whoah! I just got an awesome idea for a horror fic! *snickers evilly *) . He was about to circle the perimeter of the dorm once again when the sweet sound of a flute rose above the sound of the waves and wind, soon followed by another flute of some sort and a violin. The song was sweet and soft, gently rocking the tired demon to sleep in a haunting lullaby.  
  
Hiei awoke with a start, and gazed about in a mild stupor before realizing he was sprawled out on the stairs outside. The sun had totally set and an old screech owl hooted in the distance. He groggily stood up and tried to make his way back to the yard, but tripped over a loose stone that sent him sprawling to the dirt. Staring at the vast expanse of distance before him and the front door, he loathed the idea of trying to move. That damn music, he thought, Must've affected my senses somehow.  
  
Something in the bushes moved. Even amid all the junk going through his head and his condition, Hiei managed to make out the intruder as a possible threat. Griping about the stupid habits of ningens worldwide, Hiei stood up on his feet, using his sheathed sword like a sort of awkward cane, and hobbled a few feet forward in order to get a better view. A boy silently ran over to the front door and started to stroke the lock. What an idiot. An annoyed Hiei thought, Who would be able to open a door like that...? Even as he thought out the words in his head, he slowly snapped back to attention. "In all of Seven Hells." Hiei cursed under his breath, straightening up and clearing the fog from his head.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Holly sat on Lyra's balcony reading a book while the other two slept. She was supposed to be on the lookout for Rogerik, but who in their right mind would come back after Hiei threatened their life? Definitely not her. but Rogerik wasn't in his right mind. Any normal boy would give up trying to flirt after being rejected for the fifth time, but not Rogerik. Not to give him any credit, but the boy was quite stubborn.  
  
It was getting quite late, and all was quiet. Too quiet. Putting her book down for a minute, she grabbed a pair of headphones attached to a satellite dish and listened in for even the minutest sound. Wind blew, a lone familiar yowled out an ear-splitting serenade, and twigs snapped under the foot of the intruder. It was midnight, to the exact minute. Rogerik had a knack for being exactly on time, and tonight was no different. Throwing the contraption onto the balcony floor, Holly snuck over to the sleeping sisters and gently shook them awake. "Wake up you guys," She said. "It's show time."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snapping back to his senses, Hiei carefully leapt up onto a gnarled branch of the re- grown plum tree to watch his prey. Rogerik was cocky, and sure to make a mistake sooner or later. As the other student worked on breaking in, Hiei made himself comfortable. Apparently, the girls had put many spirit bonds on the lock and were not ready to risk letting the boy in. The strength was amazing, even between the three, Hiei hadn't sensed this much power. It was gonna be a long night.  
  
Hiei clutched the branch in front of him. He had almost fallen asleep while watching Rogerik disassemble the magical locks, and was glad to see he wouldn't have to wait much longer. The blonde psychic wiped his brow, obviously concentrating very hard as he broke through the last lock, and Hiei saw the look of achievement on his face before a klaxon alarm sounded. In panic, Rogerik stepped backwards and tripped over a wire that had sprung up and surrounded the entire house.  
  
The rogue sprang back to his feet and tried to get the hell out of there, stumbling and tripping over various plants and obstacles in his path. In a manner of seconds, Rogerik was strapped to the ground by thorn vines. The plum tree lurched, and Hiei jumped out to watch from the sidelines, with mischievous curiosity, as it pelted Rogerik with unripe plums. Meanwhile, a string of curses in about three different languages flew from the youth's mouth as thorns pricked him and drew blood. Flowers bloomed and quickly died, releasing the foulest stench Hiei could imagine. The girls had done well in pinning Rogerik down, now all that was left was to kill him.  
  
As much as he hated to make Rogerik's end short and sweet when he was having so much fun watching the little maggot suffer, Hiei relished the thought of the kill even more and drew his katana. Quietly, he strode forwards, the slender blade in front of him, and prepared to deliver the final blow upon the speechless (and now shitless) boy, when the ground beneath him collapsed. "Shit!" Hiei cursed as he landed most ungracefully on his rear in the dank pit. Vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around his arms and legs before he could respond. Another vine reared up, and grew along the sides of the dark hole, and eventually over the sides, before growing tiny, purple, flower blossoms. These flowers opened up magnificently, and put even Kurama's roses to shame with their beauty and sweet perfume. Hiei sat there, transfixed by the gorgeous flowers and wondering why the pistil was tipped like a barb.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It seemed that the alarm had even penetrated the five-foot thick walls of Jin's basement bedroom and woken up Kuwabara. Now that's a burglar alarm. Yuske tossed and turned in his bed for a little while before finally giving up and trudging downstairs, Kuwabara not far behind. Kurama was already downstairs with a groggy Jin and hysterical Rachel. Yuske asked what was happening, but was only replied by a grunt from the wind manipulator. Kurama tried to explain as best as he could, but Yuske wasn't in the mood for a lecture about what the fox didn't know. Rachel stormed outside in a huff, closely followed by the curious boys, to stop whomever was responsible for such a mess.  
  
Not even five feet from the doorway, Rachel was snapped up by her ankle and was hanging upside-down, trying to keep her tee shirt from slipping down in mid-rant. Grimacing, Lyra whispered to her comrades, "Not good. Ooh. we're in for it now." Lark and Holly nodded their heads in perfect unison, still rather amused at their roommate's reactions to the calamity going on in the middle of the night. Yuske seemed to wake up at the reality of the event while watching his enraged teacher hanging by her feet from the roof, and soon noticed a pale and bloody Rogerik bound to the ground with thorns. Jin's eyes widened at the scene and he cautiously tip-toed around the yard in order to spot anymore booby traps. Kurama, on the other hand, had found Hiei in a pit with a particularly murderous Purple Sniper, and was busy killing the deadly plant off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"LARK! LYRA! HOLLY! When I find you girls, you are in serious trouble!" Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs, towards Lyra's balcony. Lark and Holly had wisely snuck back into their rooms and Lyra had shut the french-style doors that led to her balcony.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Argh! It took me all week to write that! I almost thought I wouldn't finish it in time. If I continue at this rate of pages per chapter I could have a short novel by the time I'm done. I've webbed out the nest ten or so chapters, so writers block won't really be a problem. With the entire idea of the storyline of this fic, I'm guessing that it could last for almost 20 chapters. Don't worry! I'll write them. eventually!  
  
At my local Boys and Girls club, I was doing a mural with Fangirlitis and our friend Jesica (That's how you actually spell her name, its not a typo.). I managed to talk Fangirlitis into putting Jin from Yu Yu Hakusho on it instead of a leprechaun (hey, no one will ever know. The room the mural is in is for kids 8 and younger.), and in my opinion, Jin is way better. Besides, if I had to draw a leprechaun, it would end up looking like the one in the self-titled horror movie "Leprechaun". Um. not a good idea for little kids. I scare them enough as it is.  
  
Not much else has happened, amd it doesn't look like things are going to pick up soon, so bye.  
KKC 


	8. The wind turns for the worse

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. 'cause if I did, it wouldn't have been restarted on Toonami right before the Dark tournament finals. Stupid cartoon network. they shall pay. Oh, and I don't own those little sootball spiders from Spirited Away, but they were so cute I just had to put them in.  
  
KKC: * grumble * Grr. here's the quote. *Continues cursing under breath about Toonami *  
  
Quote of the week: "I'm an asshole, and I'm proud of it."  
-Dennis Leary Hiei: I bet you are.  
  
KKC: You little shit! Die!  
  
Chapter 8: A day full of never-ending horrors  
  
Lyra woke up in quite a rough manner. Hiei had apparently stalked up to her room after he got out of the pit and broken down the door. She woke up on the floor, Hiei was now standing on her balcony and burning her sheets to a crisp. "Hey! You jerk! Those were my best sheets!" Lyra caught Hiei, whom was obviously enjoying himself, off guard and kicked him in the shin. After watching him hop about in pain for a little while, Lark and Holly called her down. Lyra shoved the demon out of her room, set up a barrier spell across the cracked doorframe, and went down to see what her sister and Holly wanted. "We better hurry. Rachel was pissed when she woke up, I think she twisted her ankle when she stepped in one of our traps." Holly said while the girls hurried down the stairs and into Rachel's bedroom. Lark opened the glass- plate door and nervously sneaked inside, followed by Lyra and Holly. Rachel lay on her queen-size bed, her ankle propped up on a pillow and an herbal ice pack on it. She glared at the three students, who uncomfortably fidgeted under her eyes, and finally spoke. "I'm not angry at you-" Lark and co. visibly sighed and relaxed. "- I would have done the same thing in your position. even though it wasn't very smart. Rogerik is. how should I put it. Ah, an egotistical, hopeless prick. That about fits the bill. In fact, the entire situation was humorous on a whole, not that I would ever like it to happen again. Do you understand?" The girls nodded in unison and hurried to leave when Holly stopped and asked, "But Rachel, what about, like, punishing us? Aren't you going to make us clean or do extra homework? Cook dinner for a week maybe?" Rachel shook her head and readjusted herself on her bed. Grabbing a thick novel, she replied, "On Labor Day? By the goddess, no. You're in deep enough as it is. Now go and apologize to the boys, quick now." She made a shooing motion with her hand, and opening the book to the first page, she started reading.  
  
"Well, that was." Lyra searched for the right word while Holly quietly closed the door. "Um. strange, I guess."  
  
"Strange? She let us off the hook! What is she taking for painkillers? I wonder." Lark practically screeched, strategically a few inches from her friend's faces. Holly winced. "Um, yeah. But what was that about we're 'in deep enough as it is?' Personally, I don't like the sound of that." Lyra shrugged and suggested, "We better go apologize, though."  
  
"I just love Labor Day! A three-day weekend! Where you can sleep late, chill out, quit spazzing out because you thought that five-page essay on runes was due today, and go party all day long! Let's go to town today. I heard that the "Blue Mile" is coming in today with imports from the spirit world." Lark bubbled enthusiastically all the way up the stairs, but soon noticed that Lyra was downstairs in the kitchen. "Hey, Lyra, what're you doing?" Lyra started the coffee and motioned for her sister to quiet down and take a seat. "Believe me, this'll work better than any amount of nagging and whining. Just watch." Lyra flopped down on the couch and fell asleep almost immediately. Lark looked to Holly for an explanation, but the witch just shrugged. Kyuro hopped up on Holly's lap and started purring while she gently stroked the fur between his fuzzy black ears. Kurama didn't really want to get up, but the smell of coffee was too enticing. His fox's nose picked up the scent almost immediately, and he knew that youko never passed up a chance for his favorite ningen drink. Grumbling, Kurama woke up, got dressed (jeans and a T-shirt), and made his bed. After what happened last night, he wasn't really in the mood to deal with Lyra and her friends. Those plants were hard to kill.  
  
Jin was already awake and listening to songs from Meatloaf's (Long live Meatloaf! Yeah!) "Bat out of Hell II" CD. Humming along, he finished writing his reply to Rishio's letter and called the waiting albatross over. The giant bird hopped through the small basement window and flapped over, wingtips grazing the furniture and one of the walls. It settled down on the computer chair and patiently held out a leg while Jin tied the letter on. "Now git. Hurry up, too. Rachel doesn't like wild birds inside." The wanderer hopped up and out of the window, but not before giving Jin a questioning look. "No, I can't go for a flight today. I'm supposed to keep both feet on the ground, remember? Orders from Rishio." Jin gave the bird a baleful grin and locked the tiny window shut.  
  
Lark and Holly waited until everyone came down, drawn by the smell of pure caffeine goodness. Jin was the last to come up. He cheerfully nodded towards the girls and said "G'morning", but Holly could tell that the smile plastered on his face was anything but genuine. Lark sighed, and started off. "Look, we're really sorry. We didn't know you guys would get mixed up in half the traps we set-" Yuske interjected. "Half? There's still more of those flower shop horrors out there?" Holly nodded in response, and Jin's face blanched. "For the love of Mike." Lark quickly got their attention back on topic and continued. "-uh, right. So we have to disarm the others. How about we split into three groups? Holly will take Hiei and Jin out to the front yard to disenchant the tree," Lark pointed to the flailing plum tree, which was now terrorizing the mailman. "I'll take Yuske and Kuwabara out to the beach, and Lyra and Kurama will go tackle the backyard. Um. once she wakes up, that is." Everyone glanced over at the sleeping girl, and Holly took the liberty of trying to wake her up. Lyra groaned, flung a pillow that Holly easily dodged, and turned onto her other side. A few minutes of stunned silence, then. "Alright! Let's get to work!" Holly clapped her hands and shooed the boys out the front door. Kurama pointed to Lyra. "Um, should we leave her?" Lark shrugged. "Sure. Unless you can't take on a few deadly weeds by yourself." Kurama "hmph"-ed and walked outside, Lark calling behind him, "And watch out for that flesh-eating wasp's hive!"  
  
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"Man, this sucks." Yuske carefully disarmed a tripwire, careful not to fall into the muck a few inches away from his left knee. He didn't even want to know what was in that stuff. Every once in a while, he would see a large fin cut through the muddy water, and bubbles coming up. Kuwabara and Lark were busy prying sea urchins and other poisonous mollusks off the cliff stairs. Making it down had been a bitch, and neither one of them wanted to make the same trip back up. Yuske snickered as he watched Kuwabara fall backwards off the steps and into the shallow water. "I'm okay! Water broke my fall!" The redhead shouted back up to Lark, who was clearly worried about something. Yuske then saw the silhouettes of some sort of menacing creatures or something, and shouted, "Idiot! Get out of the water! Now!"  
It took a moment for the warning to sink into the crevices of Kuwabara's brain, and he sat there trying to figure out what could possibly be freaking out Yuske so much. That was all the time it took for the shadows under the water to actually contact with Kuwabara's skin. The youth shuddered, and quickly jumped out of the salt water. A skeletal fish, nearly three feet long, jumped up out of the water and snapped its ridiculously long teeth at Kuwabara, whom was scuttling away from the school of deadly sea creatures. "AHHHH! Shit! What are those.those things?" Lark sighed and replied, "Skelefins. They're the undead version of Piranhas. Nasty little buggers, aren't they?"  
Yuske was, meanwhile, ever edging away from the foreboding puddle and ready to bolt for the house. "Uh, we better get going." Lark pried a few more urchins off the steps and along the cliff wall. "Not yet. We need to get rid of these-" She pulled off another urchin, this one a foot in diameter, and kicked it over the side into the water. "-Ow. I think one pricked me. Damn. Yuske, Kuwabara, could you finish up for me? It shouldn't take too long between the two of you. I have to run up to the house and get some anti-venom. Bye!" Lark ran off towards the house. Yuske and Kuwabara looked at each other. "You don't think-"  
  
"Nah. Since when do sea urchins have poison that powerful?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay. well, you better get started. I, um, gotta go. Heh heh."  
  
"Urameshi! Where the hell do you think you're going?!"  
  
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"Okay. Hiei, Jin. You guys distract the tree while I work on taking off the enchantments, please?" Holly was trying hard to be patient with the two. Jin was extremely stubborn, as you would expect of his heritage (He's Irish, ya know?), but Hiei was even worse. The short demon sat in the shade of the house's front porch and refused to budge. "And why should we distract it? It's a tree." Holly massaged the bridge of her nose while she explained why they had to distract the goddamn tree for the third time in less than fifteen minutes. "Because if you don't the tree will hit me. I am the only one that knows how to reverse it besides Lyra and Lark. If we don't disenchant this tree, we can all look forwards to clearing out the manticore's den. And I, personally, don't like that idea. Do you?" Hiei "hn"-ed, but Jin actually asked an intelligent question instead of silently sitting back and watching the two argue. "Uh, what exactly is a manticore?" Holly looked relieved someone had actually asked her that question. "A manticore is a giant lion with a human head, a poison-barbed tail, three sets of razor-sharp teeth, and it has an appetite for flesh. Animal, human, demon, spirit, doesn't matter. There's a den of manticore in the Far Eastern border of the Rekai, and the academy is looking for volunteers to go and exterminate them." Hiei shrugged. "So you're saying that if we don't go get pummeled by a tree, you're going to volunteer us to go get eaten by a monster?"  
  
"Monsters. There's twelve of them." Holly corrected, fighting the urge to just blow him at the tree with some hurricane-force winds. "Um, I'll take the tree." Jin said nervously. "Yay! Let's get to work!" She started to prepare the spell while Jin drew the tree's attention away from her. The tree had run out of ammo a long time ago, and had taken to just wildly whipping it's thick branches about. As Holly continued with the chant; however, it seemed to become even more enraged. Lunging out towards Jin, the roots ripped out of the earth and the tree continued to move, using its roots like legs. For a tree, it was pretty fast and soon pinned Jin against the house, violently beating him with it's thick and sturdy limbs. Jin tried to get out of the way, but the plum tree had sunk its roots into the ground and back out to wrap around the Shinobi's legs and arms.  
Hiei sat and watched, not more than ten feet away, as the wind master was beat within an inch of his life by the tree. Getting beat up by a plant. doesn't get more humiliating than that. Sighing in exasperation, Hiei waded through the chaos, katana drawn, freed the unconscious demon, and flipped Jin over onto his shoulder. Hiei cut his way through the tree's defenses and dropped Jin off at the front porch before going back in to keep it away from Holly, who was almost done with the disenchantment. Slowly, the plum tree stumbled over to its original place, branches and roots stiffening with each passing moment, until it finally planted its roots in the soft soil and was silent.  
  
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"That looks serious. I'll go get some of my physicke." Erika hustled through the backyard and into the small green house full of herbs. Kurama and Lyra had thoroughly exterminated and disarmed every trap in the garden without much difficulty; even managing to get rid of the flesh-eating wasps that had built a giant hive there over the last four years. Jin made himself more comfortable on the couch, careful not to move his broken ribs too much. Holly sat by his side, tenderly bandaging his shoulder, which he seemed to have pulled while keeping her safe. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have been able to fix it on my own without you getting beat up." Jin Stopped her and cupped Holly's face in his hand. "Don' go crying over me, I'm not really worth all the fuss." Holly looked up and tried to force a smile. "Liar. You know damn well you want the attention."  
  
"Me? Nah. But if you could pass me that herbal pack."  
  
"Um. Erika's coming back. Good luck."  
  
"Eh? Waddaya mean?" Jin craned his head back to watch Holly leave, but it was too sore to move much.  
Erika now came back in with a ceramic jar and a large spoon. Jin could only watch in horror as she uncorked the bottle and a smell not unlike that of patchouli oil (I hate that stuff) filled the air. He dared not move for fear of making his injuries even worse and was starting to wish that he had called a doctor instead of trusting Erika. "Open up dear, it'll only take a second." She closed in on Jin, and the demon frantically looked for an escape route, but it was too late. Within seconds, Erika had shoved in a spoonful of the awful stuff she called medicine and forced Jin to swallow it. Jin gagged for a minute and hurriedly felt on the table for his glass of water, eager to wash down the horrible after taste of rotting soybeans and all sorts of weeds he was sure didn't do a thing for the human body, much less a demonic one.  
Yuske snickered at Jin's swearing and cursing from the other room, and watched as Kuwabara made a crude impression of the wind demon gagging and puking up the vile substance. Lyra and Lark had opened all the windows on the lower levels of the house so the stench could escape as quickly as possible. Holly was back in the living room giving Jin some raspberry tea to help soothe the aftereffects of the psysicke (I.e.: Sore throat, possible stomach cramps, and one student turned a nasty orange color.). Hiei was off somewhere snickering behind the shinobi's back while poor Jin lay on the couch almost completely out of it. Kurama was up in the boys' room brewing up a cure for the physicke in case the fox himself might need it sometime in the future.  
  
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The doorbell rang and startled Jin out of his daze. Wincing at the slightly throbbing pain, the demon got up and stretched a little before stumbling over to the oak door. It seemed Erika's "medicine" actually worked, after you gave it some time to digest. Jin had thought that today couldn't go any worse for him, until he opened the door and got a good long look at the visitor. "Hi! I was re-assigned to this dorm this morning-" Slam! Jin shut the door in the boy's face and locked it without a second thought, wishing that Rogerik would just leave him the hell alone.  
  
"Jin! That was so rude! Let whoever it is back in."  
  
"Trust me, Lyra. You don't want that thing in here!"  
  
"Jin!"  
  
"What?! I'm telling you, he's like an insurance salesman. Invite him in and he'll never leave unless you threaten his life! No! Don't!" Jin Kaze was too late; however, as Lyra opened the door and was immediately shoved aside as Rogerik ran through and started strangling Jin. "Shut the door in my face, will you? Come on, you prick!" Lyra recovered soon enough to help a worried Lark force the "guest" off of Jin and tie him down with a few enchantments. Rogerik put up a terrific fight, and the wind master stealthily snuck out of the living room rubbing his neck. That kid is freakishly strong, he thought as he quietly opened the door to his bedroom and hurried downstairs to nurse his new bruises.  
"So. what are you doing here?" Lark asked the bound teen, who was close to being gagged as well. "Me? I got reassigned here! I-"  
  
"God no."  
  
"That's right, Lark! I'm your new roommate!" Rogerik would've bowed if he wasn't tied up, but all he could do was innocently smile. Lyra was so starled at this comment that she released her hold on Salvatore. The little parrot immediately scurried across the floor and started to gnaw on Rogerik's fingers. "Ow! Frick! Little basta-" His mouth was suddenly sealed shut with a quick spell from Lark. "Not so loud, idiot! Rachel or Erika will hear you." Lyra whistled for Salvatore and the vicious bugger fluttered onto her outstretched finger. The peach-face lovebird climbed up to her shoulder and started to preen himself.  
  
"Rachel or Erika will hear what?" The sisters jumped and tried to make up a story as to why Rogerik was bound and gagged on the floor. Rachel listened to their blabbering for a second before shooing them out of the way. "Well what do we have here? What did you get yourself into this time, Rogerik?" Rachel undid the enchantments and patiently waited for his explanation. "I got reassigned here this morning. My teachers found out about last night."  
  
"It was quite a fiasco. These girls do know how to protect their property."  
  
"Uh. yeah. So, um, where's my room?"  
  
"All the other rooms are full, unless you might want to room with Lyra-" Salvatore growled at the thought of a boy rooming with his owner. "-or Jin." Rogerik looked puzzled. "Who?"  
  
"The guy you tried to strangle ten minutes ago." Lark muttered darkly. Rogerik carefully thought about his choices. Neither person liked him; both were really dangerous looking, and either way he was screwed. Personally, he was more scared of what Lyra would do to him than Jin would. What was that guy anyways, an overgrown leprechaun? "I'll room with Jin." Rogerik sighed, not at all pleased with his predicament.  
  
Rogerik shoved the door open and precariously walked downstairs with his arms full of bags. Jin was asleep, wrapped up in the cotton sheets and looking kind of sick and pale. Rogerik opened the closet and unpacked his clothes. His Irish roommate had already put his few belongings in the mahogany chest of drawers on the opposite side of the room. The blond psychic nervously glanced around before opening his last bag, releasing a stream of tiny black, spidery creatures. They clustered around Rogerik's feet, squeaking and scurrying up onto his arms, where he praised and played with them, until the demon across the room stirred and they all scuttled into a crack in the brick wall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lyra sat on her balcony, tapping a pencil against her sketchbook as she thought of something to draw. There was a meteor shower scheduled at ten tonight, and she was looking for something to do in the remaining twenty minutes. Rogerik had settled in nicely, and even helped out during dinner. Apparently, he wasn't as bad as she had thought. Of course, he could be sickly sweet and innocent whenever a teacher was around, and it was going to take more than one day of good behavior to completely change her mind. Someone knocked on her bedroom door, snapping her out of her daydream. Lyra set her book and pencil down on her chair, and went to answer the door. Kurama had come. "Hey. Do you mind if I come up?" the green-eyed boy asked. Lyra shook her head and let him in, stunned. "Why are you coming up here?" She kindly asked, not really expecting an answer. Kurama wandered around her room, looking at a framed picture here, a knick-knack there, and casually answered over his shoulder, "I was wondering if maybe I could watch the meteor shower from up here. if you don't mind, of course." Lyra closed her door and walked out onto her balcony, savoring the sea air and gentle breeze. "No. I don't mind. Pull up a chair, there's plenty of room." Kurama did so and they started talking. Telling stories from school, about their friends, and even a little literature. Eventually, Lyra managed to get Kurama to tell her about the Saint Beasts and the Dark tournament. The night dragged on, and the two friends carried on until after the tiny meteors had stopped falling.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hi! This is supposed to be a humorous chapter, and totally screwing up one of the character's day seemed pretty funny at first. I'm afraid I might've carried on a bit too much, though. Having Rishio forbid Jin to fly or use his powers to their full extent was kind of added at the last second, but it might work out. Y'see, Jin loves to fly, right? Add all the other mishaps he had that day, and. well.it's a pretty crappy day, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, I love Jin. He might not be my absolute favorite Yu Yu Hakusho character, but he comes in as a close second (Genkai is #1). Oh, and I was talking about Meatloaf the band. Meatloaf is a pretty old band; it started somewhere in the 70's, I think. Anyways, Listen to their song "Objects in the rear view mirror appear closer than they are". Its soooooooo pretty! ^_^  
  
I don't have too much to rant about in this chapter, except Toonami restarting Yu Yu Hakusho. But I'm sure you all know what I mean, right? I hope you saw "Nefertiti resurrected" on the discovery channel. It was pretty cool. If you didn't, well it's your own damn fault. See ya later!  
KKC 


	9. Midterm exams

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so you can't sue me. 'nuff said.  
  
Quote of the week:  
  
Susan: What are you kids trying to do? Make me go crazy?  
  
KKC: What are you talking about, mom? We aren't even trying.  
  
Fangirlitis: Yeah. It just comes naturally.  
  
To Forest of Tears: As much as you would like to have Rogerik die a slow painful death, I can't. Originally designed as a bit of a comedic addition (much like Kuwabara, only way smarter.), Rogerik has wormed his horny little way into my heart and has blossomed into a main character. How often do main characters die in the beginning of a story or series? Never. (With the exception of Yuske, of course) But if you feel like killing him in any of your own fics, by all means go ahead. Just please give some credit to me for creating him.  
  
Now here's where I somehow manage to write three months of school, Exams, and maybe the start of a local tournament in one chapter. This is gonna be a long chapter. Enjoy!  
  
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Mid-term exams  
  
The next two months became a blur to Yuske. Although he was homesick, his life at the academy soon became so settled down that he wondered how he couldn't have lived like this back in Japan. Kyuro and Salvatore had settled their disputes; and Bones had soon become such a common sight, that Yuske wasn't even freaked out when he found a bone or skull belonging to the dog under the bed, in the closet, or even the entire skeleton sprawled out in front of the fire place. Even Rogerik had become less of a hot head, and was starting to show how smart he actually was. Sure, he still got a little too close to Lyra, Lark, or Holly; but the girls' familiars put him in his place soon enough (Amazing how much damage a cat and lovebird can do, really.). Holly's habit of eating Oreos with peanut butter and Kuwabara's clock didn't even faze him anymore. It was strange how soon this place was starting to feel like home. Classes weren't much harder than the ones at home, but they were more varied than the average Japanese public high school. (Ki Manipulation, Illusionary Arts, and Undead Exterminating were a few of the more exciting classes.) Ryo wasn't Yuske's only teacher; though, just the one he saw most often. Classes with Laird Michelangelo were the worst; however, as the mysterious teacher always gave Yuske the chills. The Laird always kept to the shadows and was almost never seen. (Rachel had her nasty habits of lecturing and being too strict, but she had warmed up to the boys quite a while ago) If anything, this was turning out to be more of a school transfer than a dangerous mission.. Koenma hadn't called for over a week now.  
  
Once things had settled down after the first month, Lyra started her battles with Hiei again about Salvatore. Although usually taking place outside, the fierce arguments and spats started rumors among the other students(hint hint, nudge nudge. I doubt *that* pairing would ever work though.) . It took a while for the rumor to die out however; until the sign- up sheets for the 978th Cumulus Academy tournament. Yuske had looked on with mild intrest at the forms, not really wanting to bother wasting his time with a bunch of school kids in the ring, but Kuwabaka had seen a chance to show off and had signed the entire Tantei up without their consent. Kurama and Yuske had tried to back out, as did Jin, who was signed up as a back up member, but Kuwabara offered to pay them. With Christmas coming up, they needed all the money they could get ('cept for Jin, of course. I heard that he has an entire treasury somewhere in the spirit world). And Hiei didn't care either way, as long as he got to inflict some pain. Less thrilling than the tournament were the Mid-term exams. The academy's school year was split into two terms, the first was from August 28th to December 23rd , and the second started on January third and ended on June twenty-sixth. The midterms for the first half of the school year wouldn't be that major, just a quick once-over of what they had learned up until early December. Finals; however, covered the entire school year, alumni events, critical news events, and more. Yuske wasn't that good when it came to tests, but gained a little hope when he found out that your rank in the tournament gave you bonus points on the test. (I.e. You come in first, you gain an automatic fifty points to your test score. Yuske and Kuwabara are definitely gonna need to come in the top three at the tournament to pass if their scores are going to be as low as they were back home.)  
  
"Let's see . . . Rachel is giving a written test on medicinal plants, Professor Awizus is giving another written test about offensive spells, as well as a small obstacle course, and Senior Ryo is setting up the tests on Latin, astrology, and the Illusionary Arts." Kurama looked through their dorms' schedule for the exams, and continued down the lower half of the list. "After that is a quick break and then back for Erika's test on defensive techniques . . . weird . . .I don't recall any lessons with her . . ." Lyra looked over his shoulder from where She, Lark, and Holly were furiously arguing something in hushed tones. "Hm? Oh, it's just a placement test to see how well you know your defenses. The actual classes start after New Years'." Kurama nodded at her comment and continued down the list. "Right. So then Djorn is testing our speed, and . . . crud."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Laird Michelangelo is doing an entire battle technique skirmish. He'll actually be fighting us . . ."  
  
"Good. I never liked that guy. He's too creepy to be a normal teacher." Yuske turned back to his manga comic and chips and dip and ignored Kurama. He was immediately hit on the head by Lark's High-heeled, spiked, leather boot. Yuske turned back to an angry Lark with guacamole dip all over his face. "May I ask what *that* was for?" Lark tried to be serious, but burst out laughing at Yuske. "You- you shouldn't ~snicker~ make fun of- Make fun of people. Ha! You look like something that crawled out of the pond!" Holly stopped munching on her own lunch and almost snorted her soda through her nose as she looked at the messy boy. "What was that about glass houses and stones, Lark!" Yuske retorted. And flung her now goop-covered shoe back at her. He got up off the couch and walked towards the bathroom, only to be bombarded by a bright light and the furious clicking sound that accompanied it. "Kuwabara, you baka! Did you steal Lark's digital camera?! Come back here with that! Just wait until I get my hands on you!" Kuwabara ran up the stairs, pausing long enough to yell at Yuske while he tripped up the stairs. "It's all for a good cause, Urameshi! I'm sure she won't mind!" Yuske grabbed the banister and pulled himself back up. "Well I goddamn do! You're good as dead when I get you!" Kuwabara passed the memory chip to Kyuro, who skittered back downstairs and into Holly's lap. Kyuro hastily spit it out with an unusual comment. "Ye- uck! That is the last time I put anything I my mouth Kuwabara touched! Uh. um, meow?" Kurama and Jin just stared at the black cat. Kyuro looked at the two surprised demons and back at his angry owner. "Eh-heh. sorry about the 'normal cat' scthick up?" Holly gave him another death glare, and said, "I guess you couldn't have kept it up much longer anyways." Kyuro cringed at her tone of voice. "Oooh, I am in such deep shit."  
  
Holly had to do some fast-talking about how Kyuro was able to talk (and why the authoress hadn't had the familiar speak until this point in the fic for some reason.) to Yuske and the others, but only managed to get confused herself. "So.um.yeah. Kyuro's a helpful spirit that's been helping my family for generations-"  
  
"Helping? Its forced labor, I tell ya!"  
  
"Excuse me?! Forced labor? Oh, yeah. You really seem to be getting the short end of the stick there, buddy!"  
  
"I was trapped! Do you know how hard it is to serve twelve generations of arrogant mortals? Do you?"  
  
"Me? Arrogant? Since when have I acted arrogant?" as the conversation ensued into an argument, Hiei watched in mild intrest as the wind witch and her cat traded comments back and forth. Jin, however, was getting tired of the bickering and shut them up quickly. "Will the two of ya jus' SHUT UP? You guys have gotten along fine for fifteen years and now you start arguin'? Sounds a tad melodramatic to me." He slowly stood up and walked down to his room in silence.  
"Why, Jin. I never knew you even used big words like 'melodramatic'." Jin's elvish ears flicked backwards at the comment, but he kept walking. "I mean, when you've grown up during the dark ages and everything. I think I met your mother in Northern Ireland once, during a hanging. Of course, she was the one being hanged- oop! Touchy, aren't we?" Kyuro gleefully sneered in the angered demon's face as Jin held a blade to his collared throat and coolly flicked his tail. Jin was at his wits' end with the familiar already, and it had only been an hour since the cat had blown his cover. "Jin, calm down. Kyuro's an ass. He just can't help it." Holly reasoned, throwing a reproachful glare at the feline while forcing the demon to sit down. "On the contrary, dear 'Master'. You have no idea how long I've wanted to say that. You always seem to attract the strangest fellows, and our friend here is no exception." Kyuro nodded his head at Jin, who looked ready to blow a gasket, and trotted off. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a nap in the sun I'd much rather not miss. Ta-ta."  
  
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Lyra held up the last charm. It was black pearl about the size of a dime with a tiny rune on it in silver ink, and swung on the delicate chain. There was no doubt that the Urameshi team would get to the finals, and the fact that killing in this tournament was forbidden meant that the Tantei would most definitely hold back from using their full powers. If all went well, her and her companions would have this years' tournament in the bag. The doorknob to her room clicked open, and she haphazardly shoved the charms into a tiny silk pouch before shoving it under the mattress. Kurama had come to visit, probably to study for the exams. "So, what do you want to go over first?" Lyra asked from her bed. Kurama sat down backwards on her computer chair and didn't answer at first, lost in thought. Finally he sighed and got up. Walking over to the bed, he sat down next to her and asked, "Well actually, um, Lyra . . . I was wondering- " Lyra forced herself to stay calm and not start shrieking 'YES!' on the spot while she waited for Kurama to ask her THE question. In fact, she was so wrapped up in where they might go for her first date that she almost didn't hear Kurama stutter over the last part. Key word being *almost*. "- Would you help me shop for my mother? I mean, it would be nicer to have a girl's opinion, and." Lyra fell over at the sudden change in plans, but managed to recover herself before the embarrassed Kurama could notice. "Sure . . . that'd be just . . . fine," She said through gritted teeth, all hopes of taking a nice walk through town and a romantic dinner with the fox crushed.  
  
Walking out of Lyra's room, Kurama mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. What? He had taken on the saint beasts, gotten through the Dark Tournament finals, *and* stolen the Forlorn Hope, but he couldn't ask a girl out. Pathetic, absolutely pa-the-tic. (Three words there, folks. Not one, three. See? *KKC holds up two fingers in a victory sign, notices it, and quickly tries to cover up while she puts up a third one* Eh-heh. ^-^;; Sorry . . . old habits die hard.) And, of course, Yoko's taunts didn't help. As Kurama furiously strode down the hall to his room, the demon's reflection sneered at him from each window. Kurama turned the doorknob to his shared bedroom, ready to go sulk, when Yoko's voice reverberated through his skull. "Idiot. Why are you taking it so slow? You're a powerful demon, she likes you, so why don't you take her?" Kurama grimaced at the mental image Yoko sent him and answered back, " Because my day is a lot different than yours, you horny old goat. Things change in a thousand years. For instance, togas aren't in style anymore." Yoko's fur bristled at the insult, but he managed to stay cool and collected nonetheless. "Either you do something about it, or I will, little kit. And I think you know what will happen if I take this little 'relationship' into my own hands, don't you? Hm?" Kurama just continued to stare at the Kitsune's fading reflection in the window before storming off outside.  
  
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The test sessions were exceptionally quiet, and Yuske lazily searched for something to do while the other students were bent over their test packets, furiously scribbling with their pencils. Jin was busy controlling a tiny legion of tornadoes on his desk across the giant room, and he sheepishly grinned at Yuske as his pencil began to fly around like rocket ship. Yuske sighed; desperately wishing he had a few scraps of paper to doodle on, a manga comic, a book, anything to pass the time. Across the table from him sat Justin St.Pierre, the class clown, staring off into space and clicking a pen (You know, the type that you have to click the button on the end to make the tip come out.) absent mindedly. Yuske just stared at the pen, and eventually fell into a stupor himself, snapping out of it when the diminutive Senior Ryo walked around to his table and started collecting the thick test packets. "Yuske. Oh, Yuske. YUSKE!" The teen was so startled, he fell off his chair and onto the floor. A small rumble of laughter echoed across the room as Yuske clambered back into his seat, slightly blushing. Ryo grabbed Yuske's test with a chuckle and slapped it onto the large stack that was magically suspended behind him, a grin brightening his young features (although Ryo was probably older than Erika was). Jin joked with Yuske on their way to the front lawn, where a giant picnic lunch was being served. All the students, from toddlers to college-aged teens, were spread out across the wide field of dry grass eating, talking, and generally socializing. Jin's elfish ears twitched a little as he surveyed the scene with bright, twinkling eyes. Yuske turned around halfway and just stared at Jin. "What's wrong?" Yuske followed Jin's eyes to the huge crowd of people having fun on such a nice day and finally got the picture. "Oh, I get it . . . You've never really been out much, have you?" Jin continued gaping and blankly nodded. Yuske grabbed the demon by the hood of his sweatshirt and dragged him over to a table that his roommates and a few other friends sat, eating lunch. Lyonell, Justin (St. Pierre. The clicky-pen-guy), Kuwabara, and Rogerik were busy clustered around a working Gundam model, while Chrysanthemum chatted with Holly and Lark. Lyra and Kurama were wrapped in a conversation with an older snake-demon about the medicinal properties of a unicorn's horn versus the healing powers of dragon blood, and Hiei was off in his own little world. Yuske plopped down on the bench and Jin wandered off to get a helping of roast pork, the Japanese boy keeping an eye on the redhead to make sure he didn't fly off. Jin came back, his plate completely hidden under heaping servings of potato and Macaroni salad, potato chips, and pork; opened a can of root beer and quickly delved into a conversation with the boys around the model.  
  
Desperate for even just a little attention, Yuske tried to spark a conversation with the gloomy Hiei, but with little success. At least Hiei was improving on his social skills, ha had actually spoken a few words with Yuske before drifting back into La-la land. Shoving some coleslaw into his mouth, Yuske listened carefully to the others' discussions. Lark's voice was the loudest, but Yuske didn't bother to listen; until Chrysanthemum trapped Holly into telling her whether or not she liked Jin, the cheerful wind master was too enthralled with the model to even hear her. "Well . . . um, yeah. I do." Holly stuttered, and angrily glared at her two friends. "What? He's a nice guy!" Lark stopped giggling and asked, "Don't you know who he *is*? Jin is a member of the Shinobi-" Yuske choked on his Sprite. How the hell did Lark know?! Holly felt the same way. "And how the hell would you know?!"  
  
"You forget, I've been keeping an eye on the Tantei ever since Koenma-chan told me. He even sends me tapes sometimes. I burned a copy of the entire Dark Tournament on DVD if you want to watch it on my computer . . ." Yuske almost poked himself in the face with his fork he was in such a shock. But what came next was even worse. "Oh, the dark tournament! My sister is the leader of a fan club for one of the fighters. I think it was this guy named Urameshi-" Chrysanthemum said, while the gnawing a chicken bone. That was the last straw. Yuske picked up his tray and tossed it in a garbage bag, then leisurely walked over to the headmaster's offices, where Erika's test was being held in about twenty minutes.  
  
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"What!? How come you get a fan club and I don't?" Kuwabara was close to beating on Yuske, but the shorter boy held up his hands. "Wait! Calm down, that's not all!"  
  
"What? You have fan shrines too? That is so unfair!"  
  
"NO! God no! I'd hate to have a horde of rabid fans! (Heh-heh . . . too true . . . *twitchshuddertwitch* Rabid fans . . . EVIL!) Actually, its about Lark . . ."  
  
"Oh, is she your fan club's president?"  
  
"Argh! Shaddap with the fan club! The thing is, Lark has all our fights and missions on tape!" The other three Tantei just stared at Yuske with blank looks. "You're kidding . . . right?" Kurama asked. "Why would she bother keeping up with our missions?"  
  
"She burned the entire Dark Tournament onto a DVD!" Yuske practically yelled in the fox's face. "That could be a problem . . . but I'm sure Koenma trusts Lark enough that she wouldn't just go showing the tapes to anyone." Yuske almost tripped over his own feet at Kurama's words. "Wha- at!?! Think about it! Pacifier-breath, thinking that Lark is responsible?"  
  
"He is right, Kurama. After all, if he picked Yuske and Kuwabara as spirit detectives . . ."  
  
"Exactly- HEY!" Yuske grabbed Hiei by the collar of his black T-shirt, and pulled the demon up close. "And what is *that* supposed to mean?" Hiei expertly countered Yuske's grab and soon had the spirit detective in a painful headlock. "Nothing much, actually. Let's go, we have another exam."  
  
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The offices' main hall was now home to giant beasts, a few ghosts, and an astounding array of different shield and barrier spells across the far wall. Kuwabara in awe of the giant magical shield, covering the way out as Yuske grimly noticed, almost walked right into the cage of a furious Hellhound. "YAH! Goddamn dog! He ruined my new shirt!" Kuwabara leapt away, shreds of his white shirt stuck on the demon-dog's claws. Lyra watched the scene quietly before walking over and conversing with the monster. "Bruiser, Puppy-boy! How are you?" The fearsome hellhound stopped growling and thrashing around when he heard her calming voice, and joyously walked up to the bars of his kennel with his whip-like tail wagging madly. "Good boy! You shouldn't attack people like that, though." Bruiser happily bayed and bowed down, asking her to play. "Not now, pup. I have a test. I'll play with you tomorrow, okay?" Lyra put her hands through the thick steel bars, not the wisest idea in Yuske's opinion, and gently patted the dog's reddish fur.  
Kurama stared at Lyra's fearless feat in stunned silence. "You . . . know that dog?" Lyra looked up from the happy hound and said, "Yep! I helped raise Bruiser from a pup! He's such a sweetie." Kurama looked at her as if she had finally lost it, and looked at Kuwabara's destroyed shirt. Sweet . . . riiight. And Jin had a Masters degree in Language Skills. As soon as Kurama thought those exact words, the wind master himself popped his head through the doorway and immediately ran over to play with Bruiser. "'ey! Tha's a good lad. Down. Down, Bruiser. Good boy!" Bruiser sat next to Jin, tongue lolling out in extreme pleasure as the demon scratched him behind his ears. " If only to be a dog . . ." Kurama grinned as the hound whimpered, his two playmates off to take their tests.  
  
Erika patiently sat in her old rocking chair, carried up to the office for the occasion, and crocheted a blanket out of chenille skeins. "So *that* was where all those extra blankets had come from . . ." Yuske mumbled. Students crowded around her, eager to get their test over and done with and get the heck outta there. The ancient woman waited until every student had come in before putting down the half-crocheted blanket and slamming the doors shut with her spirit energy. The giant wooden doors shut out all light except for the glow created by the wall of magical bonds, and to Yuske and Jin's annoyance, a few girls shrieked. "Quiet dears. Your test is to find your way over to the door out and unlock the bond tying this entire knot together. You have only one chance. After you have done that, are you allowed to leave."  
  
"Hey, Erika. Exactly how many locks are in that thing." Yuske jabbed a finger at the menacing wall. Erika smiled, the light coming from the knot of spiritual locks and chains eerily lighting the many wrinkles in her face. "Over twenty thousand, hon. Good luck. Now, in alphabetical order; Niru Aaruo."  
  
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Almost three hours later, Yuske was jostled from his nap. All his other friends had gotten through the wall, Hiei in a matter of seconds, and most of the other students hadn't been able to get through at all. All wasted time to him, he hated having to wait through almost a hundred other kids only to find himself standing before that giant wall and helplessly staring at the enormous jumble of energy. Only one strand out of that hopeless mess was the key to continuing on with his exams. Personally, he never cared about grades, but the thought of that baka (Kuwabara) leering over him and bragging about his superior senses was too much to bear. Gingerly, he touched the energy wall and felt the warmth of Erika's spirit energy pulse beneath his outstretched fingertips. They all seemed to be merged together at one point, somewhere around the lower right corner. Closing his eyes, he mentally searched for the binding knot, the one that held all the others in place.  
He went along the wall, sorting through the glowing strands until he found one that seemed to be stronger than the rest. It was no thicker than a human hair, and Yuske was afraid he would snap it if he touched it. Gathering the tiny string of energy in his hands, he gave a tremendous yank and watched it slowly wind apart. When the last fiber finally broke free, the entire wall seemed to collapse and Yuske quickly tried to dart out of the way as it disintegrated into a million specks of shimmering blue all around him.  
  
"Very good, Yuske." The youth turned towards the ancient teacher and nodded. Erika made a shooing motion with her callused hand. "Now get going to his Laird's test. I can't rethread the wall if you're standing in the way." Yuske opened the equally mammoth doors and stepped outside into the late fall sunlight. He joyously took a long breath of fresh air; standing around for hours in a musty office was horrible. To his surprise, Rogerik was leaning against the office's brick wall waiting for him. As Yuske came closer, he noticed that the blonde rogue was sound asleep. Smirking, Yuske roughly shook Rogerik's shoulder, and the sleeping teen lost his balance and fell over. "OY! Damn! Give me a warning next time you do that!" Rogerik slowly got to his feet and stretched, cracking his back and neck in the process to doubly annoy Yuske. "Ah, shut it! Where're the others?"  
  
"What do you mean 'where are the others'? They're back at the dorm waiting for you."  
  
"What! How long did it take them to finish Michelangelo's test?"  
  
"It was called off. D'jornn's too. A horde of undead appeared near the forest's edge and all the other teachers around were called in to help fight 'em off."  
  
"Undead?! There haven't been any since Labor Day!" Yuske sprinted off towards the coniferous woods, Rogerik struggling to keep up. Although the slightly less than moralistic boy had gotten quite a bit faster (amazing how fast their female roommates could run when they were angry) during the few months he had lived at the dorm, he still couldn't keep up to Yuske's sheer endurance. "Hey! Where are you going? That part is closed off! They won't let you in, unless you want to help with clean up, that is."  
"Clean up! They finished already?!" Yuske whirled around and angrily faced his roommate. Rogerik screeched to a halt and held up his hands in defense. "Dude! Don't get so angry! It was just a pack of weak Crowlers."  
  
"Crowlers?"  
  
"Uh . . . yeah. What? You never heard of them?" Yuske's blank stare was all the answer he needed. "I guess not . . . okay . . . um, Crowlers are mostly annoying. They're not dangerous or anything. They look like crows and are usually hanging around wherever there's a fresh corpse. Some necromancers use them as spies." Now knowing what to look for, Yuske strained his eyes towards the red and golden treetops. Sure enough, a few large, black birds were climbing over the leafy branches. "I'm surprised we didn't see anything until now, actually." Rogerik watched as the Crowlers flew off to the west. "I mean, it's after Thanksgiving already. You would think they would've been seen way back in October, especially on All Hallows Eve. That's when the barriers between the living world and the world of the dead are seriously weak. Ah, whatever. We better get back before we miss dinner."  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. The tournament start tomorrow, doesn't it?" Yuske started to walk to the shoreline, preferring the scenic route to the busy main pathways. Rogerik easily caught up and continued the conversation. "Yep. I'm not fighting, though." Yuske gave him a sidelong glance. "Why not?"  
  
"I'm not much of a fighter, more of a thinker."  
  
"Pfft. As if. I doubt your test scores are better than mine."  
  
"What! I got a 98 last year on my finals!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Oh, are you jealous that I can ace the test without bonus points? I can help you tudy if you need it."  
  
"When you aren't chasing after a pair of size 9 designer jeans."  
  
"Hey! I don't go chasing after *every* girl I meet. Just a lucky few."  
  
"Riiight . . . You keep telling yourself that. Catch 'ya later." Yuske quickened his pace to a fast jog and left an annoyed Rogerik walking in the autumn mist. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yay! It's done! Now to start on chapter 10! By the way, what the **** happened to my loyal reviewers? I know you guys have at least another week to waste time and read fics, unlike me. Anywhoo, A good friend of mine is starting a fic soon, co-authored by Fangirlitis and I. He hasn't told me his penname or put up any fics yet, but it would be good idea to keep an eye on him. He's a pretty good writer and has some cool ideas.  
  
I probably wouldn't have been able to get this thing done if it wasn't for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones blasting out of my stereo speakers at five in the morning, so I'm lucky I was able to finish this chapter in time, much less update it since my mom's floppy disk drive isn't working (writer's block sux). You'd think my parents would save themselves all the trouble and just let me have Internet access on my computer. Eh, oh well . . . can't win 'em all, I suppose. Until next chapter (which will hopefully be up before Thursday), see you later.  
  
KKC 


	10. The Tournament begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho . . . yet . . .*cue thunder in background and evil cackle*  
  
Quote of the week: "The road to friend's house is never long"  
-old Danish proverb  
  
KKC: ~Still~ no new reviews . . . what's up with you people? Do I need to make death threats again like I did in the first few chapters? Please don't make me stoop that low.  
  
Jin: Don't feel too bad, lass.  
  
KKC: Whatever . . . better start on the tenth chapter, eh?  
  
Jin: That's the spirit! ^-^  
  
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"You took your sweet time, Yuske." Lark was in the kitchen, putting dishes away. "Me? I had to wait for hours before they called me! Then they cancelled the last two tests." Yuske hung his denim jacket by the front door. "Really . . ."  
  
"Yeah. What! Rogerik?! The hell? I thought that you were behind me!" Rogerik grabbed a stool at the kitchen island and sat down. "I was behind you, but this lovely lady gave me I ride when I told her I was a friend of hers." Rogerik pointed to Botan, who Yuske didn't even notice. "Botan? Cripes . . . I really am off today, aren't I?" Botan stood up and hugged Yuske. "Huh? Um, excuse me, but what are you doing?" the blue-haired ferry girl blushed. "Oh, Kayko asked me to give you a hug for her. She misses you, you know." Yuske nodded, while pouring a glass of water. "Yeah, I know. How are they doing? Kayko, my mom, and Puu, I mean."  
  
"Oh, fine! They all miss you; though, a lot. Even Koenma misses your griping."  
  
"Really? Pacifier-breath misses me? Now that's new . . ."  
  
"Yep. That's why he's coming to watch you and the rest of the Tantei in the tournament this week!"  
  
"WHAT?! I thought he had paper work!" Yuske screeched, spraying water all over Rogerik and Botan. Botan grabbed a paper towel and wiped her face. "Apparently he made some time for this. Shizumuru and Kayko are coming too." Lark finished putting away the last of the dishes, and asked Botan, "Koenma-chan? Really? Wow. What's he like? I haven't seen him since before my mom left." The ferry-girl sweatdropped. "Um . . . well, he's not what you would call mature for his age . . ." Botan caught Yuske's warning glare. "-But I'm sure he'll be glad to see you nonetheless!"  
  
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Lyra was up half the night finishing the last of the five charms. Each swung on an identical silver chain, gathering and soaking the energy she poured out into them. She had used a different material for the charm itself, to make it easier to tell them apart and work best with the wearer. Hiei's was a moderately sized black pearl, Yuske's an inch-long quartz prism, Kuwabara's was a sturdy disk of hematite about the size of a half- dollar, Jin's had a tiny feather fossilized in a highly polished piece of agate, and Kurama's was a good-sized chunk of polished and cut moonstone. Each one of the diverse materials had become a useful tool with a simple brush stroke of silver ink and the infusion of spiritual energies.  
  
Now white-hot from the energy that flowed inside, she set them on her dresser, where the highly polished surfaces reflected the moonlight shining through her French-style windows and billowy curtains. The foliage from the tree outside her balcony cast her room in a flaming stained glass display. Tomorrow was when most of the tournament was being held, as to the sheer number of entries this year. Usually the event only lasted throughout the day, but this time the finals were being held early the morning after. Of course, that could be helpful considering the extra rest the fighters would have. It all depended on the teams, really . . . The teams and the luck of the draw. Skill wouldn't do you much good if you were pitted against a team such as the Tantei in the first round. Lyra pitied whoever had to face those boys because; although, you weren't legally allowed to kill your opponent, drastically wounding or humiliating them was another story. And being taken out in the first or second round is the most embarrassing thing that could happen if you, by chance, happened to be fighting in the tournament. As she drifted of into the blissful unconsciousness of sleep, she knew that it would be a hard title to defend from the Tantei . . . that of defending champion . . .  
  
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Hiei was up before the stupid ceramic cow went off, and begrudgingly went upon the task that the five boys had decided on last night. He who wakes up first, gets to struggle with the others about waking up early. The fire demon first turned off the alarm, and then proceeded to annoy the owner of the evil little knick-knack. "Hm . . . what would be best . . ? Set his sheets on fire, splash a bucket of cold water on him, or maybe just let him sleep through this entire mess altogether? Better do with the cold water . . . he wouldn't be much help if he has third degree burns or misses the entire fight. Not like he's much help anyways, but . . ." Hiei trudged into the bathroom and poured ice-cold water from the chrome faucet onto a large washcloth. Wringing it out a tad, he skillfully twisted it into a whip of sorts and walked back into the bedroom. He took careful aim at the snoring lump of sheets and pillows before snapping the soggy towel at Kuwabara with lightning speed. "YE-ARGH!!! Damn, that's cold! What was that for, shrimp." Kuwabara fell off the mussed bed with a loud and very audible THUMP! "Just doing my civil duty as fellow team-mate, idiot. You guys did say that the first one up had to wake up the others."  
  
"But its six-thirty! The fights don't start until seven . . . wait a sec." Kuwabara took a second glance at his alarm clock and jumped up. "Six thirty?! Oh, crap! We're dead!"  
  
"Why didn't you set your alarm? I thought that was what it was for."  
  
"I did! I set it for five o'clock! Someone must've woken earlier and set it back . . . and I bet I know who . . ." The tall red-head stalked over to Yuske's bed and ripped the sheets back. Yuske lazily turned over to his other side and curled up into an even tighter ball. "Go 'way . . . I'm not going to school . . ." Kuwabara lifted Yuske off the boy's mattress and dropped him on the hard floor. "Of course not . . . You're just gonna get chewed out by me, Hiei, Kurama, and Jin for being such a lazy ass. Now wake the hell up!" Kuwabara delivered a swift kick to Yuske's ribs. The japanese delinquent yelped and quickly woke up. "Who? Wha- where? Argh . . . Kuwabara . . ."  
  
"Well you shouldn't have turned the alarm back. If you had woken everyone else up, you wouldn't be sitting on the floor whining right now, would you?"  
  
"God . . .you're starting to sound like Rachel . . . what time is it, anyway?" Yuske stumbled over to his dresser and started to pull out a pair of comfortable jeans and a sleeve-less shirt. "The tournament starts in thirty, no excuse me, twenty-five minutes. Everyone else has already left." Yuske face-faulted, but quickly recovered and ran into the bathroom to get changed. "Why the hell didn't you say so! We're late!"  
  
"Not quite but . . . Whatever. Kuwabara, wake up Kurama for me. I'll go get that idiot wind master." Hiei grouchily stomped downstairs and across the living room. Opening Jin's bedroom door, he yelled at the demon to get up and apparently not hearing a reply, poked his head through the door. Jin wasn't there, and his computer was left running. The annoyed fire demon came down and read the note Jin typed on the screen. It read:  
  
Guys, I left for the tournament with the girls and Rogerik. The teachers forgot to mention that we had "sponsers" for this thing, dunno why, though. Anyways, I'll meet you out by 'Siren's Circle'. It's near the main offices. You know, that big circle of weird stones that ring when you hit them? Um . . . yeah.  
  
See ya later, Jin  
  
Hiei closed the file and shut down the computer. 'That idiot could have at least waited or left a map . . .no wait scratch the map. If Jin's drawing skills were as bad as his penmanship, the map would have been useless.' Hiei thought as he walked up the stairs. Kurama and the others were all waiting outside for him, and Hiei told them where the fights were being held. Kurama was the only one that knew where " Siren's Circle" actually was and led them to the ring.  
  
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"I hope they make it in time. They're next and the first fight is almost over." Holly hovered on her broom, over the crowd. Jin was higher up than Holly, keeping a sharp eye out for Yuske and co. "Don' worry, Holly. They'll be along any minute now . . ."  
  
"Sure didn't look it when we left. Ooh . . . that was a nasty kick!" Holly visibly flinched as the crippling blow landed on one of the fighter's ribs.  
  
"What? Cripes, it was. Eh! There they are!" Jin pointed towards the shoreline. Holly flew up a little higher and shielded her eyes from the bright morning sunlight.  
  
"Where? I don't see them."  
  
"You see those specks way over there?" Jin looked at her from his higher perch.  
  
"Uh . . . no. I don't."  
  
"How can you not see them? They're over there." Again, the demon pointed over towards the water.  
  
"Over where? I can't see them!"  
  
"Fer the love of Mike . . . humans really ~are~ blind."  
  
"I'm not blind! The sunlight is reflecting off of the water, so I can't see anything! Just because you're a demon . . ."  
  
"Look! See! D'ya see them now?!" Jin turned her head in the right direction and pointed out to a pack of running specks. "Oh yeah! Now I see them! Um . . . they're waaaaaaaaaaaaay over there, and your match starts in two minutes. Think we should give them a ride?"  
  
"Most definitely." Both wind riders swooped down upon the running Urameshi team, effectively surprising them. "Jin, you freak! Why didn't you wait for us?" Holly positioned her broom next to the griping Yuske. "Whatever. The next match starts in a couple of minutes and it's your team that's up. Hop on if you want to make it in time." Yuske stumbled, but managed to grab onto the broom's crooked tail. Holly desperately strained to straighten her ride and gain more altitude, but it was hard to do much with Yuske's extra weight dragging her down. "Yuske, you oaf! Don't just hang there! Try to balance your weight evenly!"  
  
"I'm trying you witch! Just give me a second!" Yuske finally mounted the broom, and watched in envy as his other friends were lifted in the air by the winds Jin had summoned. "Sure, they get to travel the easy way . . ."  
  
"Easy way?"  
  
"Yeah. When you get to travel without a stick halfway up your-"  
  
"Whoah-kay. Just drop it right there, Yuske."  
  
"But its-"  
  
"Drop it or I'll turn this broom around."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
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Lyra sat in the stands between her sister and Botan. The crowd of anxious students was getting a tad too rowdy and noisy for her. She was glad Shizumuru had come; though, as Kuwabara's older sister didn't take any crap and was all too happy to beat the shit out of anyone that bugged them. Namely, a group of older boys between the ages of eighteen to twenty-one that had pinned poor Kayko against the office building.  
  
The crowd grew quiet as Lyonell and a strange, pale girl strode out onto the ring. "Sorry to keep 'ya waiting folks. Team Urameshi is on their way, and will be here very shortly. Hey! Raven, this reminds me of something that happened to me on my family's road trip last summer-"  
  
"Quiet, cat, or I will be forced to devour your insides."  
  
"Um . . . okay then! Moving right along . . ." Lyonell gulped and pleadingly looked at his sister, who just shrugged and made a shooing motion with her clawed hand. The two seemed to be in a heated argument, and one or two swearwords floated over the crowd to the girls. "Oy, here they go again." Lark sighed and rubbed her temples. Kayko innocently looked over at her new friend. "Again?"  
  
"Yeah. Those two-" The black-haired girl lazily pointed over at the quarreling cat demons. "- Are always at each other's throats when the tournament rolls around. Lyonell treats it all like one big joke, and Chrysanthemum is way too serious. You should have seen it last year. I thought they would never decide whether or not I broke that kid's neck on accident . . ."  
  
"Broke a kid's neck? Wha-Were you in this tournament before?" Kayko asked. Lark smacked herself in the forehead for her own stupidity, but it was too late for her to blow it over. Luckily, Lyra spoke up for her. "Yeah, we have. We've gotten pretty far too." Shizumuru took another drag off her cigarette before casually flicking it over her shoulder. "Really . . . Well, Yuske and the others are no slouches, either. "  
  
"Oh, I know that. They did win the Dark tournament, after all. But I think that they're going to go a little easier on the students than all those demons." Kayko stared at Lark's outburst. "Y-you know about the Dark Tournament? But how-"  
  
"Girl, just because I don't get straight A's doesn't mean I'm completely stupid. A lot of kids here want to win the Dark Tournament. More than half of them would get killed even at their maximum power. Not built for fighting, ya know? Like him over there." Lark pointed her blonde roommate out to Kayko and stood up, trying to get Rogerik's attention. "Hey! Rogerik! Over here! We saved you a seat!" Lyra hastily yanked her sister back down. "Saved him a seat? Since when do you save Rogerik a seat?" Lark shrugged off her sister. "Since he offered to pay for our food and drinks. Ooh! Look! The match is starting! Yay!"  
  
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Lyonell gratefully stalked back to the commentator's booth, ready to do what he did best; commentate. "And now, finally, the Urameshi team shows up and the match is ready to begin!" Kuwabara stopped posing and yelled back, "What!? We were right on time!"  
  
"Now, now. No need to mince words, Kazuma. Farida, would you be so kind as to referee the match?"  
  
"Very well. But you all know Cthulu shall claim your souls in the end, you shallow simpletons. And do you know what The Great Destroyer does to fools such as you, cat?"  
  
"Um . . . Destroy . . ?" Lyonell nervously answered from the safety of his seat.  
  
"Very good. You guys know the rules. No killing, no maiming, and no hitting your opponent below the belt, often." The unusually pale Cthulu worshipper lifted a bright red bandanna and let it drop. Both teams charged at each other, weapons brandished. "And let the fight begin! . . .or end . . .whichever one you guys prefer . . ." Lyonell glanced at his watch. " . . .Wow . . . that was quick. Um, the winners are team Urameshi. Geez . . . that's a lot of blood . . ." Lyonell sat back in his chair and let loose a long, low, whistle. After watching the severely beat-up team being carried out of the ring, he finally snapped back to attention. "Okay, then! Moving right along! If the audience doesn't mind, how 'bout you all get something to eat while we clean the blood off of these tiles, eh?"  
  
The audience just stared, silently, at the abandoned ring. Rogerik sat next to Lark and absent-mindedly chewed on a cheese-covered french fry. "How ~ can~ you eat with all that blood and carnage?" Kayko asked him. "Hm? Nerves of steel, babe. Nothing bugs me- OW!" Rogerik gingerly rubbed the rising lump on his head. "What was that for, Lark?"  
  
"Stop flirting with Yuske's girlfriend!'  
  
"Y-Yuske's girlfriend?! Crap! I'm dead if he finds out!"  
  
"You're dead if I find out what?" Yuske stood right behind Rogerik, and snagged a fry. Rogerik broke out into a cold sweat. "Uh . . .um, n-n- nothing! Absolutely nothing! Here, you just help yourself to those fries and I'll see you later, buddy." Rogerik got up, shoved his container of Chili cheese fries in Yuske's hands, and scurried down the stands. Yuske just stared. "What's wrong with him?" He asked Lark. The raven-haired girl innocently looked at him. "Whatever gave you that idea?"  
  
"He willingly gave up his food."  
  
"Oh, yeah. You know what? I'll go check on him! 'Kay?" She flipped them a peace sign behind her back and ran after Rogerik.  
  
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Rogerik miserably wandered around the decorated grounds, kicking up flame-colored leaves with each step. In his opinion, he was lucky to have gotten away with flirting. If he had ever done that to one of his old friends' (note the sarcasm, there folks.) girlfriends, he would have been a living punching bag. He was so deep in thought; however, that he didn't even notice his aforementioned "friends" loitering around the cotton candy stand. "My, my. What do we have here?"  
  
"Dude! It's Rogerik! I thought that you were expelled!"  
  
"I know. We haven't seen you in such a long time, dear buddy. Pray tell, what have you been up to?" Shuichiro put Rogerik in a friendly headlock and gleefully punched him in the ribs. The 'playful' punch was strong enough to knock the wind out of Rogerik and the demon shoved the gasping boy onto the ground, away from the curious stares of others. The smaller demon, Satoshi, kicked him in his already aching ribs. The two demons sniggered as Gomo, leader of the bunch, lifted the psychic up by the collar of his leather pilot's jacket.  
  
"What took you so long, moron? I never found out anything about those kids at the Psycho dorm. Any news?" Rogerik mumbled something under his breath and Gomo whapped him on the head, adding another lump to the one Lark had inflicted. "Well? Out with it!" Again, Rogerik just stood there, intimidated by the shorter demon, and mumbled. Gomo's long ears twitched as he caught what his victim was saying and he growled. "Louder, you idiot. I want the others to hear this."  
  
"There's nothing about them, you egotistical, over bearing, load of shit! Now let go-" Rogerik was kicked in the ribs again by Satoshi. "All those years and he still has an attitude. Should we thrash him, dude?" Gomo glanced around before viciously punching Rogerik in the jaw. Taking that as a signal, the other two demons jumped in the fray.  
  
Kuwabara was returning from the main picnic area was set up, stuffed to the brim with food, when he heard the demon's threats. Peering around the corner of a cotton candy stand, he watched as Rogerik got pummeled. "Huh? Hey! Get away from him!" The redhead charged at the largest of the three, and Suichiro dodged his wildly thrown punch. "What the? Are you trying to stop us?"  
  
"Well, yeah! Why are you guys even beating on Rogerik in the first place? What'd he do to you?" Gomo seemed quite amused by Kuwabara and burst out laughing. "Hah! Why? He actually asked why? That's a first! Rogerik, since when did anyone care about you? Made a few new friends, I see." The blond teen just scrambled to his feet and tried to get the hell out of there, only to bump into a shocked and very pissed Lark. "Rogerik, what's going on here?" She tried to grab onto his jacket as Rogerik ran past her without a word. Kuwabara watched out of the corner of his eye as the beaten kid ran, and turned to face the three demons. "So you were the ones that put him up that bet!"  
  
"Bet? Is that what he told you? It wasn't a bet, it was a threat."  
  
"You bastards!"  
  
"So what if we bugged him? He deserved it, always running away like a whipped dog."  
  
"Well I- that's it! Spirit Sword!" The flickering blade slashed at where Gomo had been standing but a few seconds before. "Wha- where'd he g-" WHAM! Kuwabara, meet dirt. Dirt, Kuwabara. Lark winced as her baka roommate was pile-drived into the hard earth. "That was easy . . ."  
  
"Woo-hoo! Go Gomo!"  
  
"That idiot didn't stand a chance. Look at him! He can't even pry himself outta that imprint his ugly face made!" Suichiro highfived Gomo, who landed between his two friends. However, Kuwabara was slowly getting back up as the three students laughed at the quick skirmish that had ensued. Lark stalked over and kicked Kuwabara in the shins. "Don't even try it. You'd be better off kicking their asses in the ring, where they can be humiliated in front of everybody. C'mon." Lark grabbed Kuwabara by the ear and dragged him towards the stands. "B-b-but what they were doing to Rogerik . . !"  
  
"Yeah, I know. I'm not to pleased about it either, but what are we really gonna do about it? Go sit with Kayko and Botan, will ya? I have my own fight starting."  
  
"You guys entered?"  
  
"Yeah . . ."  
  
"But you're girls!" Kuwabara stared at her stupidly, only to realize his mistake a ~little~ bit too late. "SO?! If you can fight, than so can I!" Lark was about to kick Kuwabara in the shins again when Holly dropped out of the sky on her broom. "Lark, save it for the ring. We gotta go. Save me a seat when our fight's over, okay Kuwabara? Bye!" The younger Admarant sister grumbled, but followed her friend towards the makeshift arena.  
  
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"And here we are folks, with another fight soon to be underway!"  
  
"Shut up. Cthulu is still going to consume your soul, no matter how cheerful you seem."  
  
"Okaaaaaaay . . .um, I'm just going to go commentate the match now . . ." Lyonell slowly inched away from his creepy companion and, once out of the ring itself, rushed over to the commentator's stand. Farida just glared at Lyonell and introduced the teams. "Pathetic mortals, I bring before you the Smith team-" a few scattered bunches of applause was heard. "-and the Admarant team! You guys know the rules . . . Lark, that means to follow them this time." The younger sister pouted, but stayed silent as the red bandanna fell.  
  
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KKC: Not too shabby if I say so myself.  
  
Shishiwakamaru: You can't write battle scenes, can you?  
  
KKC: *sweatdrops* now, whatever gave you that idea . . ?  
  
Shishiwakamaru: You made it funny! Battles are not funny! They are true contests of skill between two men-  
  
KKC: So? The Urameshi team woulda won anyways and I was saving page-space. Waitasec . . . you thought it was funny?  
  
Shishiwakamaru: I never said such a thing. KKC: Yes you did, samurai boy! No denying it now! *laughs maniacally at the annoyed demon*  
  
Shishiwakamaru: You dare mock me?  
  
KKC: Yes I do. Now put that sword away before I sic my sister on you.  
  
Shishiwakamaru: You wouldn't . . .  
  
KKC: I wouldn't . . . if you would stop griping.  
  
Shishiwakamaru: *growls*  
  
KKC: Whatever. Anyways . . .review! Or the Pretty-boy Samurai gets it!  
  
Shishiwakamaru: Don't touch me. 


	11. The hidden spring

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. But watch me, someday I'll have people writing fanfics for a insanely popular manga or anime series that I created . . . yep . . .some day . . . dude, who am I kidding? *coughs* oh, and Tiger of the Fire belongs to herself, respectably. But the "Wheel of Torture" belongs to me.  
  
Quote: "You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."  
  
KKC: Well . . . that quote is oddly Kurama-related . . .  
  
Yuske: Um . . .yeah.  
  
KKC: Yep . . . Orchids are prettier than roses, though . . .  
  
Yuske: Don't matter to me. They're all weeds as far as I'm concerned.  
  
KKC: -_-;; Of course, Yuske . . . Nothing matters to you, does it?  
  
Yuske: That's not true!  
  
KKC: You really need a hobby . . . you know that, right?  
  
Yuske: *grumbles* Shut up and write the fic.  
  
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Chapter 11: The tournament begins pt.2  
  
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When we last left our Heroines . . .  
  
The red cloth fell to the ground, signaling the beginning of the match. The three girls split up, hoping to loop around their opponents and attack from all sides. George Smith, leader of the Smith team (um . . .duh . . ?), raced at Lyra, who brought up a powerful defensive shield. As he pounded away at her shield, Lark ran in and grabbed him by the back of the collar, and delivered a swift knee-jab to the spine. Holly, meanwhile, was circling around the ring on her broom, warning her teammates and sometimes taking a swipe at her opponents. Lyonell's voice was heard on the mic throughout the entirety of the fight. "And the Admarant team starts with a pretty good defense. Better than last year, I'll admit. Ooh! And Jason Gilbert just took a bad blow to the head from Holly's broom. Let me tell ya, I've been on the receiving end of that thing and it hurts! Lark just reversed George's headlock . . . THAT CAN'T BE LEGAL!!!"  
  
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Kurama watched the girls fight it out from the safety of the stands. Lyonell was doing a pretty good job, he had to admit . . . but Farida just creeped him out. Chuckling as Holly tossed another unsuspecting student out of the ring, his attention was suddenly caught as he heard a group of girls try to sneak up behind him. Slowly turning around, he was presented with the most of his on-campus fan club. At its head was the nefarious Helen, a top-honors student in love-potions. He did the only thing a fox trapped by a horde of females would do, he ran. He ran and never looked back at the fan girls, who were quickly gaining on him. God, it was scary how fast and determined those girls were. He thought he would never lose them, and never would have if it hadn't been for Koenma.  
  
"Oh, hello Kurama. How are you do- HOLY SHIT!" Koenma stood in his teenage form, stunned as the fox hid behind him. The prince looked over Kurama's fan girls in awe, and the pacifier dropped from his mouth. "Gotten a bit popular, Kurama?"  
  
"Yeah . . . can you get rid of them?"  
  
"I suppose . . ." Koenma replied, although he looked quite dubious about the task set before him.  
  
"Thanks, Koenma." Kurama nodded his head in respect before running off again.  
  
Helen stomped over to the Rekai prince, curious as to where her bishie went. "Do you know what direction Kurama went? He's about this tall, long silky red hair, and beautiful green eyes."  
  
"He went thataway." Koenma cleaned his pacifier off with his cape and pointed in a random direction away from the arena stands. "Thank you. C'mon girls! This way!" Helen and her mob stampeded in the direction Koenma had pointed. "How come I don't have fan-clubs. . ?" He sadly mumbled as soon as the girls were out of earshot.  
  
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"And the Admarant team scores a second victory! Two fights in a row, and they don't even look that worn down . . .makes you wonder if maybe they were just playing around." Lark straightened up and shot the cat-demon a death glare. Not quite as lethal as Hiei's, but pretty scary nonetheless. Lyonell cringed and hastily tried to backpedal. "-Of course, it doesn't take much effort to take down those guys. Nope . . . none at all . . ." Lyonell sighed and turned the mic over to Farida (A/N: I accidentally called her Raven first in chapter ten, decided that the name Farida fit her better, and forgot to change all the Raven's to Farida before I updated. Oops!), who proceeded to give a sermon about her favorite topic (I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count).  
  
"Cool, We're up after this fight." Yuske flipped through Kayko's packet. The tournament rosters were printed on it, and Yuske could barely read the script lettering among the scribbled out names. "Really? I thought it would take much longer." Kurama peered over his friend's shoulder (Apparently he had outran his fangirls) and pointed out the asterisk next to their opponent's name. "It says here that our opponents are the reigning champs."  
  
"Well that won't last long!" Yuske gleefully shouted. Kuwabara scratched his head.  
  
"How do you get the idea that they're good because of a little star next to their names, Kurama?"  
  
"Footnotes, Kuwabara, footnotes."  
  
"Oh . . . Hey! I know those guys! They were beating on Rogerik earlier!" Kuwabara pointed to the trio of sniggering demons down near the vending machine. Botan's pink eyes clouded with anger. "How dare they!? Picking on such a sweet and well-mannered boy! (A/N: -_-* ) What did poor Rogerik ever do to them?"  
  
"Botan, I'm sure that Rogerik deserved it. He isn't as nice as you think . . ." Yuske grumbled and nibbled on his last Chili Cheese Fry, savoring the taste for as long as he could. Botan was about to summon her oar and whack Yuske over the head with it, but Shizumuru stopped her. " Stop it, I'm sure he's just joking. Aren't you Yuske?" Shizumuru gave Yuske an odd look that he took as a clue to apologize before the ferry girl beat the stuffing out of him. "Uh, sure! It was a joke! Yep. Just a joke." Yuske roughly elbowed the fox in the ribs. "Back me up here, Kurama!"  
  
"I'm sure you can handle it on your own, Yuske. I have to go thank Koenma for getting those girls of my trail. So if you will please excuse me . . ." Kurama gracefully made his way down the crowded stands, leaving Yuske with the girls and Kuwabara for company.  
  
"Some friend you are, Kurama! Just you wait! I'll sic Kuwabara's skeleton on you!" Kazuma yanked Yuske back into his seat. "Get down, Urameshi. Quick, before someone recognizes you."  
  
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Rogerik sat under the branches of a large Maple, one of the few trees that hadn't lost all of its leaves yet. Moodily, he sipped his can of Dr Pepper and thought. He thought about his past roommates, his life, his father and sister, how Lark had looked at him with so much pity, anything that crossed his mind, really. Something shifted in the leafy branches above him, and Rogerik tossed his now empty soda can up at it. The aluminum can fell back down, neatly sliced into two halves. "Hiei, will you go sit in some other tree? I'm trying to mope down here." Rogerik leaned back against the worn bark, listening for the Jaganshi's customary "Hn". It seemed that Hiei was in one of his rare talkative moods today.  
  
"Moping, Rogerik? What good is that going to do?"  
  
"Nothing. Except maybe earn a little pity . . . "  
  
"From who?" The psychic glared up at the tree, hopefully where Hiei was hiding, and chucked a pebble at the shadowy form. As much as he hated to admit it, the demon was right. Who would pity him? The same perverted boy who lied, stole, and shamelessly flirted? Not many, that much was true. Rogerik got to his feet, bent down to pick up the can halves, and walked towards the stands; but not before he turned to Hiei and smirked. "You're late, you know. The next fight just started." The tiny demon swore and sped ahead of his roommate to reach the ring.  
  
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"What do you mean you started without me?!" Hiei shouted at Yuske from the sidelines. The spirit detective expertly tossed Suichiro over his shoulder and managed to continue his argument at the same time. "Had to Hiei . . . We waited for ten minutes, but Justin said he would hack into the school files and flunk us if we didn't beat these guys to a pulp. And you know how Kurama feels about his grades . . ." Yuske dodged Suichiro's wild punch and kicked the opposing demon in the face. Suichiro quickly recovered and tripped a dizzy Jin into Yuske.  
  
"OW! Huh? Jin, are you okay?" Yuske pushed the deadweight off him and noticed that blood was gushing from the shinobi's elven ears. Little Satoshi leaped and eagerly clutched onto Yuske's face much like an alien Face-hugger (Note to self: improve metaphors.). Hiei smirked and settled down in a folding chair. "Serves you right, baka. I hope that little brat tears out that greasy junk you call hair."  
  
"You little twit! Get off!" Yuske tore Satoshi off of his head and flung him way out of the ring and into the stands. Kurama had Suichiro and Gomo pinned down and tangled in a thorn bush. "I don't see how these boys could ever win a tournament. They can't even fight without ganging up on you."  
  
"Probably cheated their way in. Do you want to do the honors, Kurama?"  
  
"No, I'm quite alright. You go right on ahead, Yuske." The fox looked down at the struggling demons and regally walked away, as if his opponents were nothing more than insects.  
  
"Well, okay. Spirit Gun!" Yuske fired his attack at the pile of limbs and thorns, blasting it a good hundred feet into the air, where it plummeted down into a stack of hay a few yards away. "Hm . . . I thought they would've gone farther. Pity they didn't get stuck in a tree." Yuske waved over to the commentator's booth. "Oy! Lyonell! Would you snap out of it? And someone get a medic . . . Jin doesn't look too good."  
  
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The first thing Jin saw when he finally opened his eyes was Holly. The witch was leaning over him and blocked his vision while she looked through some papers and junk from a shelf above his bed. After a second or two of rummaging around for the scribbled-on sheets, Holly had a strange feeling someone was watching her. Cautiously, she glanced down at the redheaded demon below and furiously blushed when she noticed what he was staring at. "Perv! You're almost as bad as Yuske!" Holly turned a bright red and her eyes narrowed. She quickly stood up straight and smacked Jin on the cheek, but not hard enough to hurt him. Before the wind master could reply, she stomped up the stairs and slammed the basement door. "W-what'd I do?" Jin sat in his bed, bewildered at Holly's temper tantrum.  
  
"Holly, what's wrong? Boy problems?" Kyuro stretched and yawned before trotting over to his companion. The fourteen year-old witch groaned and flopped down on her bed. She snatched a pillow right from under the small cat and buried her face in it. "Nothing is wrong, furball. Now go leave me alone." She waved her hand at Kyuro as if shooing a fly and the familiar sniffed. "Fine. You try to be kind . . ." Kyuro hopped down and stalked out of the shared bedroom in search of a more feline-friendly room to nap in. Halfway through the door, he turned. "You know, if you ever want to talk, come to me. I'm not allowed to tell anyone anyways, it's one of the joys of being a familiar. Ooh! Better hurry! Don't want to miss those last few sunrays! Later."  
  
Jin stared at his bedroom ceiling, not quite awake. Whatever painkillers or meds they had put him on for Satoshi's ear-splitting shriek, they sure as hell hadn't worn off yet. He fumbled around for the small clock he kept on the shelf above his bed. "Cripes. Nine o'clock . . . What a lousy day." A loud thud distracted him from wallowing in his medicine-induced stupor. He struggled with the tangled sheets for a minute before stumbling over to the tiny basement window. On the yellowish-gold grass lay a small finch, whose wingtips were a vibrant yellow tipped with black, panting heavily. Tied to its fragile leg was a tiny slip of paper.  
  
The wind master stretched his arm out and gently scooped the tiny bird up in his rough hand. Keeping the shivering avian close to his chest, Jin carefully shut and locked the window before placing the fragile bird on his mussed bed. The demon unplugged Rogerik's gooseneck desk lamp and set it up so that the bright light warmed the shivering finch. He flipped the switch to ON and carefully untied the short note from the leg of its equally small carrier. It was another note from Rishio, this time about forgetting his promise to keep the use of his powers to a minimum. "Damn Rishio . . ." The demon muttered over the neat, script handwriting.  
  
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Lyra tip-toed across her room to Salvatore's white wire cage. She gently unpried the sleeping lovebird from her shoulder and let him securely clutch his clawed feet onto a wooden perch before quietly closing the cage door. Still ever so quietly, she stuffed her shell-flute, an ancient looking tome, and a tiny incense burner crafted out of silver and a small Nautilus shell into her messenger bag. She unlatched the French doors to her balcony and jumped over the rail. Lyra skidded down the slate-covered roof and hopped onto the plum tree out front. Sliding down the trunk, she made a quick energy scan to make sure no one in the house was watching and ran towards the towering forest.  
  
Kurama stood inside the living room, staring out of the large bay window and sipping a glass of ice water. Tonight was a full moon, and although Youko wasn't exactly raring to go out and hunt on such a dismal night, controlling the demon fox's urge to get out wasn't easy either. Suddenly, a pale figure, black hair tied back in a long, thick braid ran into the misty forest. Kurama felt his worst side's thoughts bubble up from the depths of his brain. The reflection of Youko smugly sneered at Kurama. "Well, little fox . . . Lyra, alone, and at night. The stupid girl has absolutely no common sense whatsoever. Want to see how a real man gets a woman?"  
  
"No! Stop it! What are you doing?! Youko!" Kurama helplessly pleaded with the albino fox even while the demon took over his body. His red hair turned a brilliant white and his ears moved to the top of his skull, turning into the silky canine ears of a fox. Kurama's jeans and sweater were replaced with the flowing silken robes that Youko preferred and his spine lengthened into a flowing, furred tail.  
  
The change fully complete, Youko crushed the water glass in his clawed hands. Opening his hand, he let the crystalline powder sift through his fingers. Blood poured from the lacerations on his palm, and Youko gingerly licked it off with the tip of his tongue, savoring the bitter taste. Tonight he would hunt, and there was no way he would let his prey escape.  
  
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Holly could sense his spirit energy before he even knocked on the door. Grumbling, she got up from her bed and stalked over to the oak door. Standing outside was a surprised Jin, cradling a small bundle in his arms. "What do you want, Jin?"  
  
"Eh? What do I want? Nothing! Nothing at all. Actually, I was just wondering if maybe you know what's wrong with this lil' guy." The redhead unwrapped the tiny bundle to reveal a shivering Goldfinch. Holly quickly snagged the bundle with the sick little bird and set it on her bed. She then fished around in her nightstand and triumphantly revealed a brass key. "Here." She said, placing the key in Jin's palm. "Take this and go into Lyra's room. There should be a box of animal-care medicine in her bathroom; she has it in case any of the familiars gets sick. Inside the case is a small glass bottle labeled "Ashen Wing". Bring it back down here along with an eyedropper and a small cup of milk from the kitchen. I'll take care of the rest."  
  
Jin hesitated for a moment, but soon hurried up the stairs leading to Lyra's bedroom on the third floor. As soon as he entered the elder girl's room, he felt the sudden change in energy. It flowed through the wooden beams overhead, inside the wire bars of Salvatore's cage, and formed a twisted knot in the keyhole of her balcony door. The stream of energy was a confusing maze of locks that spread throughout the entirety of her bedroom.  
  
The wind master wandered around, taking in the dark blue walls and hand- painted mural of the night sky. The window was slightly open, and a light breeze blew in, making the tiny paper cranes swirl and dance on their strings attached to the ceiling. Snapping back to reality, Jin made his way past the many bookcases and the cluttered mahogany computer desk into a tiny bathroom. Swinging open the medicine cabinet door, he quickly found the wooden box and brought it out to Lyra's bed. Opening it, he shuffled through the many bottles of pills and liquids, reading each label in turn. "Glimroot . . . nope. Let's see . . . Cat's claw, powdered unicorn's horn, phoenix pinfeathers . . ." Jin tossed the rejected bottles out onto the bed and continued his search. "Dragon's blood and manticore tail-spikes? How'd the heck did she get those? Probably on the black-market . . . Ah! Here we go! Ashen Wing!" Jin stuffed the amber-colored bottle into his pocket and carefully put the other bottles with their strange contents back into the wooden medicine chest.  
  
"Jin, what took you so long? This poor finch has been through quite a bit and you're taking your sweet time?!" Holly stamped her foot and pointed a finger at her demon roommate. "Now wait a sec. It took a while to find the right bottle, all of 'em look the same!"  
  
"But you *did* get the "Ashen Wing", right?"  
  
"Yeah! Here you go, along with all the other junk." Jin shoved the glass bottle and eyedropper into her hands and placed the cup of milk on her nightstand. Holly sheepishly apologized and got right to work, mixing the fine powder with the milk and adding a handful of ground bran inside of a small wooden bowl.  
  
Once the mixture had gained a thick, grainy texture, she sucked some into the eyedropper and tried to get the shivering bird to swallow some. After three failed attempts, she turned to Jin. "Hey, maybe could you try? I think the poor thing is afraid of me." The redhead sighed, but begrudgingly took the eyedropper in one hand and the Goldfinch in the other. He carefully forced the eyedropper into the bird's tightly closed beak, careful not to injure it anymore with his sharp fingernails. The sick Goldfinch struggled and tried to move its tiny head out of Jin's firm grasp, but the demon's grip was firm, if not gentle. "Darn little bugger . . .Ow! He bit me!" Jin turned to Holly. "That bird bit me!"  
  
"Yep. He sure did. But at least you got him to take the medicine. I'd say twice a day for four days, and he'll be fine in no time. Salvatore came down with the same thing, and he's bigger so he needed more time for the mixture to take effect." Holly had been busy lining a shoebox with tissue and hand towels. She positioned the makeshift nest on the small table under a desk lamp. Holly gently took the drowsy bird from Jin and placed it in its new nest. "That should do it. Here, let me help you out with that bite."  
  
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Lyra trudged through the forest, bag slung over her shoulder and compass out. The compass wasn't one that worked with the earth's magnetic field, instead it picked up readings from locations with high energy readings. The little crystal swung on its string for a moment before pointing due East. Lyra tucked the compass in her pocket and continued on her way. It wasn't often she roamed these woods; and although she had a pretty good sense of direction, she didn't want to chance getting lost out here in the woods, especially with that thing chasing her. Whatever it was, it was following her at such a distance that she couldn't pin point its exact location.  
  
The black-haired girl paused and peered into the misty pine branches. She was pretty sure that she had seen something move up there, but the fog and moonlight could have been playing tricks on her eyes, as it had disappeared as soon as it had appeared. A silky white creature, one that gracefully bounded through the tall trees at impressive speeds. "Cripes, I really am seeing things . . . Nothing that big lives in this part of the woods. Argh . . . lost track of the trail again. Stupid fog, as if it isn't hard enough to make it to the spring on a clear night . . ." Lyra sighed and once again pulled out the tiny crystal pendulum, focused her energy and continued in the direction it pointed.  
  
Kurama watched with mild intrest while Lyra navigated her way through the dense forest, always keeping the unsuspecting girl in view whilst he leaped among the branches. Sure, the city had some good haunts around, but nothing, in his own opinion, could compare to finally stretching his legs out to their full extent in such a place. The treetops seemed to host their own little world where bats and various pixies flitted about catching their dinner, and an entire horde of Mist Spirits floated around eerily lighting up the branches.  
  
Kurama crouched down on his haunches and lazily snagged a passing pixie, thoughtfully gnawing on it while Lyra once again pulled out her crystal pendulum. "How often does she need to check that thing? For Crissakes, why not just get a map? Be a whole heckuva lot easier . . ." The youkai batted away another pixie that had zoomed over to avenge his eaten comrade, and yawned. At this rate, it would take *forever* for that stupid girl to reach this spring she kept talking about. Youko stood up, ready to go check out the terrain ahead, but accidentally knocked a small bunch of pinecones of the branch. The demon fox cursed and reached to grab them before his prey would notice, but his clawed hands slipped and the heavy cones crashed down no Lyra's head. Lyra angrily swore and rubbed her head where the pinecones had impacted, all the while glaring up at the many branches. Youko snickered, despite himself, and bounded ahead before she could notice his lithe form.  
  
Two or so minutes later, the albino fox came to a large clearing. A bright blue pond reflected the moonlight on its surface, in the center and a cozy, but abandoned, house was tucked away by the pond's edge. Youko sniffed around for a few seconds before he caught the scent of his prey, Lyra. He quickly jumped up into the many branches before the girl could sense him. It wasn't long he had to wait; however, as Lyra came up the path not five minutes later. His prey flopped down on a large boulder jutting out into the surprisingly blue water and cupped in a hand to take a drink.  
  
She started emptying her messenger bag when Youko had a twisted idea. Reaching deep into the corners of his mind, he awakened the silent human Kurama inside. His younger self was surprised to be conscious at such a time, and still not in control of his own body. "Watch, little kit. I said I would show you, so . . ."  
  
"What?! Youko, you're insane! What if Koenma finds out?"  
  
"'What if Koenma finds out' what? She's not human, even I know that much."  
  
"Um . . .well, of course. Nut she's still a student here! Search parties will probably be sent out if she goes missing-"  
  
"-And the culprit won't be around. Youko will have gone back into the reaches of your mind before they could point a finger." The demon had the younger boy stuck between a rock and a hard place and the kit didn't like that, Youko knew. "Now be quiet and watch. And don't you even dare try to sink back into our subconscious. The fox goes in for the kill . . ."  
  
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Hiei waited outside for the arguing to cease. Rogerik and Lark had been going at it for over an hour now, way too long for the time it took to clean up after dinner. Kayko opened the door to the guest house and looked up at the fire demon. "Hiei, why don't you come in? I'm sure those two will be winding down sooner or later. Hiei? An answer, please."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Okay then. I'll just leave the door unlocked." Kayko turned around and was about to go back inside to the inviting house when she noticed Hiei stiffen. The jaganshi hopped down and ushered her in the door. "No. Lock it. Something's not right around here."  
  
"Wha? Whats wrong, Hiei?"  
  
"I . . .don't really know. But something with tremendous energy is surfacing. Tell Yuske to be on guard tonight. I'm sure even Kuwabara can sense it by now-" Almost immediately, a second floor window was shoved open and the human boy stuck his head out. "Hey, Shorty! You got any idea what's giving off all that energy?"  
  
"No. Just stay inside for now." Hiei was surprised to see Kuwabara nod his head in agreement before slamming the window shut and locking it. Yuske came to the door, pushing Kayko inside. "What is going on?"  
  
"For the last time, I don't know! Just stay alert and try to figure out where its coming from." Yuske was about to complain, but Lark shoved him out of the doorway. "It can't be! What could have possibly angered the spirit that much?"  
  
"Spirit?" Yuske shoved the younger girl back, but received two slaps, one each from Kayko and Lark. "The spring spirit, idiot! It's usually dormant, but . . ."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I've just never seen it this upset before, alright Hiei? God, I'd hate to be up at Aria Spring now. That much I can tell you . . ."  
  
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KKC: Sorry it took so long, folks! Goddamn homework for both academic and Ag classes. Anywho, today's "random rambling" session will be cut short. Tiger of the Fire has been wanting me to torture Kuwabara as an apology for accidentally dissing her, but I just can't figure out where to put it in the story. So, in order to get this over with (I don't particularly like to bash Kuwabara . . . the poor guy needs a break every once in a while from all of the fanfic writers that do hate him.), I'll let Tiger of the Fire do the dirty deed.  
  
TotF (Tiger of the Fire): Dirty? Excuuuuuuuuse me! It's about time Kuwabara- baka got put in his place.  
  
KKC: *shrugs* Whatever. Tiger of the Fire, will you please spin the wheel? *points to a giant 'wheel of fortune' thingamajig. Emblazoned in red paint on the wheel is the title "Wheel of Torture"*  
  
TotF: *grins* Yay! *spins the wheel* Wheel of Torture: *swirls in a dizzying array of colors before finally landing on "Tar and Feathers"*  
  
KKC: Ooh . . . a good one.  
  
TotF: Tar and feather Kuwabaka? *Shrugs and grabs the pot of bubbling tar and a sack full of goose feathers* Sounds a bit primitive, but . . .  
  
Kuwabara: Hey! What are you doing? *Notices TotF advancing towards him with a murderous glint in her eyes and starts running*  
  
KKC: Please excuse them for a moment. *Pulls down a sign that says 'Cannot be shown due to graphic violence' and watches the whole incident with mild intrest*  
  
TotF: Done! Hah! He looks like a chicken . . .and an ugly one at that.  
  
KKC: *nods in agreement* Er . . .yeah, he does. I almost feel sorry for him . . .  
  
TotF: *holds bucket of tar in front of KKC's face threateningly* You aren't a Kuwabara-sympathizer, ARE YOU?  
  
KKC: Nope. But he is. *points to her step-brother, Chris*  
  
Chris: *dazedly* Huh? No, wait! Not me! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! *runs away from TotF, who is trying to pour hot tar over his head*  
  
KKC: That was close . . . *notices Kuwabara tied to a tree, covered in feathers* Poor guy never stood a chance against her . . . See you guys in the next chapter. Oh, and don't forget to review. If I reach fifteen reviews before I put up chapter twelve, I might pick another reviewer to play "Wheel of Torture" *walks off, leaving her brother to deal with TotF* 


	12. Help me! I'm being trapped with an insan

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do own Lyra, Lark, Holly, Rogerik, the spring spirit, and a whole bunch of other original characters.  
  
Quote of the week: "My doctor says I have a malformed public duty glad and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving universes"  
-Ford Prefect, "The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"  
  
KKC: I'm sorry I didn't update until early Sunday morning, but my computer was refused access to Fanfiction.net's server for some reason.  
  
Yusuke: Maybe if you didn't try to update at eleven thirty at night you could've gotten on from your step-father's computer.  
  
KKC: *pouts* I know, I know. But give me a break, will ya? Oh! And I just figured out I've been spelling your name wrong for the last eleven chapters!  
  
Yusuke: I thought you researched the topics you were writing about.  
  
KKC: But every fan site I went to has your name spelled with one U!  
  
Yusuke: *snickers* Some authoress you are . . .  
  
KKC: Watch it, Yusuke. A friend of mine from school asked me if I could do a Yusuke/ Kuwabara Yaoi fic, and with the way your acting, I just might be obliged to write it.  
  
Yusuke: Y-you wouldn't! You said yourself that you hate yaoi!  
  
KKC: I don't hate it, it's just that you can't find much else besides Kurama/Hiei yaoi fics on this site! But I suppose everyone's entitled to his or her own opinion.  
  
Yusuke: Doesn't mean I have to like it . . .*mumbles* what type of sicko would want to read a Kuwabara/Yusuke yaoi? *shudders*  
  
KKC: While Yusuke plots ways to kill my poor friend (who shall remain anonymous for obvious reasons), let's get on with this chapter. But really quickly, I want to thank 'Kuramie and Kaiaramith' for reviewing. Its been such a long time . . . *absent-mindedly stares off into space* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the last chapter . . .  
  
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Yuske was about to complain, but Lark shoved him out of the doorway. "It can't be! What could have possibly angered the spirit that much?"  
  
"Spirit?" Yuske shoved the younger girl back, but received two slaps, one each from Kayko and Lark. "The spring spirit, idiot! It's usually dormant, but . . ."  
  
"But?"  
  
"I've just never seen it this upset before, alright Hiei? God, I'd hate to be up at Aria Spring now. That much I can tell you . . ."  
  
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Lyra carefully poured a few teaspoons of the freesia scented liquid into her nautilus shell incense burner and lit a match. While the heavy smell of Freesia flowers wafted through the air, she took picked up her flute and opened the heavy leather-bound book, flipping through the yellowed pages until she finally found the one she was looking for. Settling back onto the boulder, she brought the strange instrument to her lips and began to play.  
  
The song was sweet, alluring, and oddly hypnotic. As the flowing melody reached his sensitive ears, Youko found himself become increasingly tired with each passing moment. The demon finally covered his ears in a last effort to drown out the flute and stalked closer to Lyra, who was too drawn into the music to notice the large fox. Youko flexed his claws and rushed in; ready to grab Lyra in a chokehold, when the flute struck a high note. It hung in the air, and the water swirled and bubbled in a ravenous fury as the demon fox grabbed Lyra by the neck and shoulder in an iron grip.  
  
The shell flute fell from her hands and fell down into the spring with a splash, as Lyra struggled against her captor. She could hear the deep- throated growl and strained to twist her head around to get a better view of the demon, but immediately stopped struggling as she stared at what was happening to the spring before her.  
  
Youko took her limp posture as defeat and went to go in for the kill, totally ignoring Kurama's plea to stop. His hand tightened around her slender neck and his claws pricked her pale skin. It had been a long time since he had hunted for prey such as this, and he was so intent on finishing the job that he barely noticed the rising flow of spiritual energy emerging from the pure waters of the spring.  
  
Lyra could only stare as the sinewy figure emerged from the chaotic spring, stretching its insanely long neck and shimmering tail. The creature was serpentine in appearance, with pairs of tapered flippers running along the length of it's lithe body; it's head was elegant, resembling that of a seahorse, and the fish tail fanned out into a sparkling half-circle shape. The spring spirit reared back and sang its battle cry to the heavens before turning its azure eyes to Youko and his hostage. The fox was frozen to the spot. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even think, as the spirit charged straight for him. Finally gaining his senses, Youko turned and fled, dropping Lyra onto the sand.  
  
Trees snapped like twigs behind him as the spirit of Aria spring crashed through the forest after him in its watery fury. Youko knew that running was futile, even now as the swirling waters enveloped him in a deadly embrace. As the bright blue water closed above his head, the only thing he could think was, 'Whoever said drowning was a peaceful way to die, obviously never tried it.' He forgot who had originally came up with the quote, but it didn't matter now; not with the sheer pressure crushing the air out of his ribs and the mineral-laden liquid obscuring his vision.  
  
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Lark clumsily fell from her perch on the windowsill. The surge of energy had been unbelievable, the unleashed fury of the spring spirit was matched with only that of natural disasters. As she painfully stood back up, she stretched her senses as much as she could to see if she could pick up anyone that had been unlucky enough to get in its way. Nothing. The spirit hadn't traveled far, she knew that much, but her energy radar still wasn't even close to being as accurate to Kuwabara's. Sighing, she settled herself on the cushy armchair that Kurama usually favored and prayed to the goddess that whoever had invoked the spirit's wrath would survive it.  
  
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Lyra followed the trail of destruction until she came across the still from of the albino kitsune. Youko was hanging from the split pine tree by his tangled limbs, soaking wet and looking quite helpless and pathetic. The spirit was long gone, leaving not a shred of evidence that whatever had wreaked so much havoc wasn't just a freak storm. Suddenly, the weakened trunk of the ancient pine creaked and crashed down, leaving Lyra seconds to erect a shield around the unconscious demon before he was buried in pine needles and the sap-covered branches.  
  
Lyra hastily tore through the debris until she found the demon's body, which she managed to pull out from the fallen tree. "Poor . . . guy . . ." She panted, while dragging the seven-foot tall Youko over to a slightly rotting tree stump. "I almost feel sorry for him, even though he attacked me . . . Ow! Stupid splinter!" Lyra dug out the painful sliver, and collaborated on what to do next. "Let's see . . . a huge carnivorous demon that wanted to kill me, an angry water spirit, and we're too far from any of the school buildings to walk. Why does this stupid crap always happen to me?" The shorter girl flung one of Youko's pale arms over her shoulder and got a good grip around his waist. With a grunt of effort, she proceeded to drag the much taller fox to the lakeside house she knew so well.  
  
The fifteen-year-old student leaned Youko on the sturdy outer doorframe while she fumbled through her jean pockets for the antique looking key. She unlocked the heavy wooden door, shoving her full weight against the weakened demon fox to keep him from falling face first onto the crushed- shell pathway. Letting the moss-covered door swing open on its giant hinges, Lyra grabbed Youko by his elbows and dragged him through the dusty hall and into the living room.  
  
It was just as she had remembered it, the white sheets draped over the leather couch and armchair. The fireplace mantel was covered in seashells and a crystal vase with a bouquet of dead flowers was placed on the brick surface, all it was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. The curtains were tightly drawn; now faded from years of neglect and constant wear, pulling them back, Lyra revealed the large, grimy windows.  
  
She yanked the sheet off the large couch to reveal the Italian leather underneath, and dutifully dragged Youko onto the soft cushions. After searching around in the living room closet, she finally found the old blanket she had sat around so many campfires snuggled up in its richly colored folds, and it was in a remarkably pristine state too. She took in its familiar scent of burning leaves for a moment before shaking it out and carefully covering the white fox with it. She took some of the other, cleaner, sheets and ripped them into strips for use as bandages, then went back outside to retrieve her messenger bag.  
  
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The last thing he could remember was the water. It was freezing cold, filling in his delicate ears and it was so . . . well, to be blunt, it was wet. The fox never really had liked water much; his fur soaked it up like a sponge and weighed him down, not a very good predicament when trying to run away from bloodthirsty demons in Makai. Getting caught meant a slow painful trip straight to hell; and on the subject of death, he wondered if he hadn't died himself. He sure had the 'light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel' part right.  
  
The rest of his mind was a black void, except for that shining speck of light that kept on coming closer. He couldn't do anything as it finally took the shape of a beautiful young woman, slightly short, with long black hair and wizened azure eyes. She couldn't have been more than twenty, but the air she carried about her pulsed with intelligence, experience, and most surprisingly, age. She cocked an eyebrow and said in a sarcastic tone, "You never learn, do you Kurama? Already died once, and you still make the same mistakes over and over."  
  
"What do you mean by I 'still make the same mistakes over and over'? And how would you know, anyways?" Youko was so curious; he didn't even bother to question the fact that he was suddenly standing in the middle of the black nothingness. Hey, it was a dream. And dreams were not worth trying to figure out, or so he thought. Of course, it would be just his goddamn luck for things to go for the worse, whether it was in a dream or not.  
  
"What I mean is that you never seem to learn from your mistakes. I thought that your brush with death would keep you from molesting younger girls at night in the sacred territory of a greater spirit."  
  
"Greater spirit? You call a deformed seahorse a greater spirit? That's a laugh."  
  
"Coming from a demon that serves a toddler?" Ouch . . . that had hurt.  
  
"That 'toddler' happens to rule the spirit world, woman." Youko flexed his claws and growled under his breath. The young woman crossed her arms and glared at the demon, quite comical considering she barely topped five feet. "Well, looks like you still have a lot to learn, kit."  
  
"Kit?!" That was the last straw. Youko might've tried to be polite with the ladies when looking for an easy way to get laid, but taking lip from an annoyingly correct one was too much for his bruised pride. The demon charged headfirst at the spirit/woman, eager to teach her a lesson straight from the Makai school of hard knocks. Her reaction wasn't quite what he had expected; though, as she laughed right in his face. "My, my . . . you do need to learn a lesson, not to mention who really has the advantage in a fight." She raised an impenetrable shield with barely a thought, and Kurama leapt away just in time, saving himself from a handful of broken claws. What he didn't expect was the shield to become totally liquid and swing around after him.  
  
"Wha-?" The liquid energy wrapped around his torso like a straight jacket and brought him crashing down towards a glass floor that had suddenly appeared in the dream/world. Centimeters before impact, the long tendril of energy hovered over the fragile surface and Youko sighed in relief, his breath steaming the floor beneath him.  
  
"So . . . you're quite in a jam now, aren't you?"  
  
"No thanks to you, you crazy bitch! Let me go!" The fox struggled against his bonds, not at all happy with the situation. The spirit shrugged and walked over, kneeling so she could talk to the demon face to face.  
  
"I could . . . on one condition."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Either you take a test of mine to redeem yourself, or I fling you into the depths of the ocean where you can be killed with three thousand pounds of pressure on every square inch of your body." She insanely grinned at Youko, knowing that the fox wasn't willing to die just yet.  
  
"Test." It came out as a hoarse whisper, as Youko choked it out.  
  
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it." She cupped a delicate hand around her ear and feigned deafness.  
  
"I'll take your god-forsaken test! Alright? Now let me go, wench!" The spirit went to snap her fingers, failed, and after five more failed attempts just sighed and let the annoyed demon go. "Some all-powerful spirit you are. Can't even snap your goddamn fingers." The fox straightened up and narrowed his yellow eyes at the much shorter female. "Not everyone is perfect, you jerk. Now, to get back on track . . . During this test, you're going to be seeing things from a new angle, literally . . ."  
  
Again the insane grin, this time accompanied by a flashflood. Kurama could feel the water tearing at his skin, surrounding him in a painful prison of which there was no escape. It lifted him up in its current, before the water dissipated and dropped the fox into a shivering lump onto the ground. "Now go forward, Kurama. Go complete my test and find a way to restore yourself to your original form."  
  
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Lyra squinted and tried to cover her eyes from the rising sun, but eventually she just gave up. Why bother trying? The last thing she remembered from last night was slaving away over the wounded fox, bandaging and healing the many injuries that the angered spirit had caused. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned and leaned back to stretch, almost falling from her awkward position on the leather armchair.  
  
Still yawning, the black-haired girl stumbled over to the bright Indian blanket, and was hardly surprised to see that the demon had already left. Lyra grabbed the thick fabric and whipped it off the couch, revealing the tiny bundle of fur underneath. Even as the sun's rays shone through the dusty windows, the tiny furball changed from a blinding and unnatural shade of white to a reddish-orange color.  
  
The petite creature shivered for a few seconds before finally uncurling and stretching its luxuriously furred limbs. Yawning, it stumbled to its tiny paws and shook its head. "Oh, how cute." Lyra cooed, stretching out a hand towards the tiny fox kit. The miniature fox stared at her, the seemed to look itself over. It yipped and bounded into Lyra's arms, burying its head in her chest. "What's wrong, little guy?" Two green eyes peeked up at her, and it took all of a second for the girl to read what was being said in them. Slowly, she picked up the kit and looked into his startling emerald eyes. "K-kurama?" She finally choked out. Kurama nodded and sheepishly looked away. "So then that fox demon last night . . .was you!" Again he nodded, but this time it was accompanied by a pathetic 'yip'. "Oh . . . my . . . god . . . What in the seven hells happened?! It was the Aria Spring spirit, wasn't it?" Kurama looked up and bowed his delicate muzzle, another yes. Lyra gently dropped him on the couch and started pacing around the living room, wracking her already stressed out brain for an idea as to what to do. "We have to get you back to normal! And we can't let the others find out because they'll blame me, but you'll get in trouble for attacking me, and the tournament finals start this afternoon, and they know you wouldn't just blow it off and . . ." Sighing, she flopped back down on the couch. "Man, I'm confused." Kurama hopped onto her lap and encouragingly nudged her hand with a tiny paw.  
  
"Alright, here's the plan. You act like a normal fox and I'll pretend I found you, then . . . we just kind of let the fact that you're missing and stuff blow over . . . No, that's a crappy alibi. But I guess we don't really have a choice, do we?" Kurama just stared at her as if she had temporarily lost her mind. "What? Do you have a better idea? If so, then please tell me." The fox's silence wasn't helping much with her little brainstorm, but then again, what did she expect? A sudden moment of enlightenment from King Enma himself? Not very likely to happen. "Well . . .I can start checking the academy library once the tournament is over, and Holly and Lyra probably wouldn't mind helping me; I know they can keep this under wraps. What time is it?" She checked her watch and groaned. "Seven AM . . . We better get going, I'm sure everyone else is worried about us."  
  
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KKC: That was longer than I expected but . . . *cracks knuckles* Now I can start editing the earlier chapters and re-post them! ^-^  
  
Yusuke: Uh-huh . . . Why wasn't I in this chapter?  
  
KKC: Um . . . Geez . . .I dunno.  
  
Yusuke: But you're the writer!  
  
KKC: Doesn't mean I know what's going on.  
  
Yusuke: . . .*____* Riiiight . . . *idly looks around at KKC's stuffed heavy-duty shelves* Hey . . . What's this?  
  
KKC: NO! Yusuke, Don't touch tha-  
  
Yusuke: *Pulls out a box from the bottom shelf, and the entire shelf system collapses in a heap* . . . I didn't do it.  
  
KKC: *vein pop* Yusuke . . . GET OUT NOW!  
  
Yusuke: *scurries out the door* Have fun cleaning!  
  
KKC: When I get my hands on that boy . . . Ooh, he's gonna pay! *sighs* Crap . . . I hate cleaning. *starts to pick up all the junk that fell off her shelves* Please review. It would be a bright little spark of hope in the sulfurous pit of hell that I call life. *mumbles* 'Tupid Yusuke . . . 


	13. Good morning, let the stress begin!

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda . . . Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho . . . yadda yadda yadda *insert whining here*  
  
KKC: *STILL cleaning room from Yusuke's last visit* He is never, and you can quote me on this, NEVER TOUCHING MY STUFF AGAIN!!!!!!  
  
Kurama: *peeks in* . . .You're still cleaning up that mess?  
  
KKC: Yeah. *Tosses another book into a cardboard box* I really should sell some of these . . .  
  
Kurama: *picks up a book from the top of the pile* "The Human Difference"? *Flips through* I didn't know you were into psychology . . .  
  
KKC: Don't ask . . .  
  
Kurama: But psychology?  
  
KKC: Yeah . . . well, I was bored and snagged it from my mom's bookshelf.  
  
Kurama: *sweatdrop* You guys keep books like this around the house on a normal basis?  
  
KKC: I was doing some research for an extra-credit project at school. What's wrong with that?  
  
Kurama: Nothing, nothing . . . Shouldn't you get to work on the thirteenth chapter?  
  
KKC: Oy vey . . . the unlucky number thirteen. *Shudders* Hey, want to help me clean? Please? *Puppy dog eyes*  
  
Kurama: No.  
  
KKC: Why not?  
  
Kurama: You need to type, and I have to be included in this fic.  
  
KKC: Fine. I'll get Jin to help me, he cares.  
  
Kurama: Just start writing.  
  
KKC: *whimpers, but starts up her computer and starts typing. Kurama is hanging over her shoulder* Excuse me! Go sit somewhere else!  
  
Kurama: Where? Everything's covered with junk . . .  
  
KKC: *cheerfully* Hey, guess what! I have a trunk full of rat asses downstairs! Want one?  
  
Kurama: *looks at KKC oddly* Nooooo . . .  
  
KKC: Good, 'cause I wasn't gonna give you one anyways (It basically means, "I don't give a rat's ass." Lovely, neh? I use it often.).  
  
Kurama: o.0 . . . I . . .don't get it . . .  
  
KKC: -_-* I don't give a rat's ass where you sit, just get away! *Shoos Kurama away* Shoo! Go! Leave! I need to concentrate!  
  
Kurama: *still doesn't get the joke, but manages to clear away a small section of the bed so he can sit down. He picks up "The Chronicles of Chrestomanci -Volume II" and starts to read*  
  
KKC: Now let's get this thing over and done with! *Cracks knuckles*  
  
Kurama: *doesn't even bother to look up from the book he's reading* That doesn't sound right . . .  
  
KKC: Just shut up and read your goddamn book!  
  
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When we last left the confused Lyra and the now oh-so cuddly Kurama . . . (* KKC coos and scratches the fox kit Kurama under the chin* Soooooo Cyute! ^-^ *Kurama bites her finger* OW! Brat . . .)  
  
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"Alright, here's the plan. You act like a normal fox and I'll pretend I found you, then . . . we just kind of let the fact that you're missing and stuff blow over . . . No, that's a crappy alibi. But I guess we don't really have a choice, do we?" Kurama just stared at her as if she had temporarily lost her mind. "What? Do you have a better idea? If so, then please tell me." The fox's silence wasn't helping much with her little brainstorm, but then again, what did she expect? A sudden moment of enlightenment from King Enma himself? Not very likely to happen. "Well . . .I can start checking the academy library once the tournament is over, and Holly and Lyra probably wouldn't mind helping me; I know they can keep this under wraps. What time is it?" She checked her watch and groaned. "Seven AM . . . We better get going, I'm sure everyone else is worried about us."  
  
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"Where the heck is Lyra? We've been waiting for over an hour . . ." Lark whined, but Holly chose to ignore her. "I dunno . . . think maybe the spring spirit attacked her?"  
  
"Holly! You should know better than to joke around like that!" Lark glared up at the wind witch, who was lounging around on the front steps.  
  
"I'm not joking. You DID sense all that energy, didn't you?"  
  
"Well, yeah. Of course I did, and I didn't sleep through it either."  
  
"You know me . . . I sleep like the dead."  
  
"The dead don't sleep well around here, ya know. Always re-awakening and causing all sorts of trouble . . . In fact, we haven't had any come around since the Midterms, except for those Crowlers. But they're always hanging around in the forest." Lark pursed her lips over this new thought and absent-mindedly twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. Holly sighed. "Maybe they finally set up a permanent barrier and the undead can't get through . . ."  
  
"Nah . . . they tried that centuries ago, back when Senior Ryo was a student here."  
  
"Hey, spells and barriers can be improved in two-thousand years." Holly shrugged, and looked up towards the boys' bedroom window. "Aren't they awake, yet? It's almost eight in the morning!"  
  
"I would be sleeping this late too, if you hadn't insisted on setting the alarm so we could up at three in the morning to do a scanning spell for my sister and Kurama." Lyra stood up from her spot on the dead grass and stretched her back. From the upstairs bedroom, Kuwabara's clock went flying through the open window and landed a few feet away from the girls. "Um . . . does that answer you question, Holly?"  
  
"Yep. Sure does . . ."  
  
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Something was scurrying right by his ear, and Jin brushed it away. Funny, it felt as if there was a whole mass of bugs and spiders crawling all over him . . . Again he lazily brushed his clawed hand at the imaginary insects, but this time they weren't imaginary. "For the love of Mike! What the hell- " Jin grumpily sat up in his mussed bed, and got a good look at the horde of tiny sootballs before jumping out with a panicked screech. "Flippin' hell is going on?! Rogerik, you idiot!"  
  
The blonde boy thumped down the stairs, holding a box of Nerds candy. He got one look at the freaked out wind master, covered in the little soot spiders, and started to laugh. "Guess they really like you, Jin." He managed to spurt out. Jin plucked one off from his pearly horn and flung it on the ground. "Yeah, yeah . . . but what the hell are they?"  
  
"What do they look like? Spiders."  
  
"I know that! But they're made of . . ." Jin brushed the fine powder between his fingers. " . . .They're made of . . .soot?" Rogerik nodded, and whistled for the little arachnids. They clustered around his feet and the boy poured the contents of the Nerds box into the crowd, then watched as they dragged it all into a tiny crack in the wall. Jin stared as every last one of them crawled off and swooped into the tiny crevice with their artificially flavored treats before heading upstairs. "Hey, Where're you going, Jin?"  
  
"To take a shower . . . I've had all the weirdness I can take this morning."  
  
"Just wait'll you fight Holly, Lark, and Lyra! You ain't seen nothing yet." Rogerik called up to the demon, who just incoherently mumbled something and closed the door.  
  
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Another fine morning . . . The birds were singing, the early December sun shone through what was left of the plum tree's foliage, and the kitchen was a goddamn mess. "Remind me never to let Kuwabara cook again." Yusuke said to Hiei, both of them cleaning up pancake batter from Kuwabara's attempt at making breakfast. Hiei was down on his hands and knees, gnawing on a blueberry muffin and cleaning up the lower parts of the disaster area, while Yusuke stood perched on a ladder and scraped batter off the ceiling. "I told him to follow the instructions, but noooooooo . . . he had to do it his own way." Some batter dripped onto Yusuke's forehead and he grouchily wiped it off with a finger, then tasted it while Hiei wasn't looking. "Hey . . . not bad. Now maybe if he hadn't put the mixer on 'liquefy' we wouldn't be cleaning up the mess that he made."  
  
"He is doing the laundry for us, and I, personally, would rather clean the kitchen than wash your tighty whities." Hiei casually dodged the batter Yusuke flung at him and kicked the unsteady ladder. "Ack! Jerk!" Yusuke clung onto the cabinet handle with one hand and tried to fling more batter at the shorter demon with the other. Hiei fingered the handle of his katana, but thought better of it. There was no way Kuwabara was going to fight a girl and Kurama wasn't likely to show up soon (although he had a nagging feeling that the fox was around ~somewhere~), which left himself, Yusuke, and Jin in the ring. Not that it would be much trouble to beat the girls, he could do it himself in a heartbeat, but killing wasn't allowed. That meant Jin and Yusuke couldn't use their full strength and he was stuck without his Black Dragon Wave. "Rapture . . ." Hiei darkly muttered, and tossed the sponge he had been using into the sink. It bounced out and whacked Yusuke in the face.  
  
"Hiei . . ." The younger boy grabbed the bucket of soapy water he had perched on the ladder's top rung and went to dump it on the demon, but slipped and dropped it on himself. Hiei snickered and left the cursing Yusuke in the kitchen, still gnawing away at his muffin. Stepping outside, he tripped over a flesh-colored lump that was sprawled on the front steps. "Wha? Lark, get up."  
  
"Sooo tired . . ."  
  
"What? You didn't sleep? Tough shit. Now move." Hiei nudged her in the ribs to emphasize his point, but the water manipulator just flipped him the finger and continued her nap. This time, Hiei grabbed her by one arm and dragged her up to her feet, then pushed her out of the way. "Why don't you go do something? Like write one of those stupid stories you're always talking about."  
  
"They're not stupid! You're just pissed 'cause you can't write half as well as I can." Spying the muffin in his free hand, she pointed to it. "What's for breakfast? Anything good."  
  
"No. Now go away and leave me alone." Hiei let go of her wrist and stalked off, searching for Kurama's energy. However, a blunt and heavy object was thrown at his head, and Hiei barely dodged it. Looking down at the intruding missile, he wasn't at all surprised to see Kuwabara's cow clock by his feet. 'Does that thing never leave me alone? I swear it's cursed . . .' Lark broke the demon out of his concentration with a well-aimed blast of water. "Hey! Don't be too long! The finals start in a few hours, and we're leaving early to meet Koenma!"  
  
"I thought you saw him yesterday. Not like there's much to see . . ."  
  
"Nope! He sent an e-mail saying he had some paperwork to pick up and that he wouldn't be able to spend the night at the guest house."  
  
"Hn . . . Don't worry, I'll be there on time." Hiei waved and continued down the gravel drive.  
  
"You better! Oh, wait! Lyra wanted me to give this to you in case she didn't come back to the house after her trip to the spring . . . now where is it? Ah, here it is!" Lark dug a small charm out of her pocket and tossed it to Hiei, who caught it and stared. "What for?" Lark shrugged and held out her palms. "Beats me. She said it was an early Christmas gift, but I think it's really supposed to give you good luck or something like that. Why don't you ask her later? Supposing she hasn't gotten lost in the woods."  
  
"Whatever." Hiei stuffed the pendant into his pocket. Pearls weren't really his thing, and he didn't need any good luck against the girls; if anything, maybe he could sell it downtown for some extra pocket money.  
  
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" Morning, Jin!" Holly cheerfully called out to the demon from her spot on the living room couch, he was still pretty grouchy after the spider incident that morning. "What are you so happy about? Its eight-freakin'- thirty."  
  
"Not a morning person, eh Jin?"  
  
"No, I'm not. Rogerik's 'pets' woke me up early. How's that lil' bird? He still doing okay?" Jin's bad mood was slowly fading as he talked to Holly.  
  
"Yeah. In fact, he was trying to fly out the window this morning, but he still could be sick." The witch caught Jin's sigh out of the corner of her eye. "What's wrong Jin? You seem to be a little down."  
  
"Eh? Nah, its nothing much."  
  
"I'm serious. And don't pull that 'nothing much' crap on me either."  
  
"Really, its nothing!" Holly just stared and crunched her ice (an annoying habit, I know. I do the same thing all the time.). Jin could feel her eyes boring holes through his skull even as he walked into the kitchen, which was considerably cleaner than it had been twenty minutes ago. "If you ever want to talk, I'm always free. Just ask." Jin turned, and smiled. "Yeah, thanks. Huh?" He caught the fragile object Holly tossed at him and watched it dangle from the thin chain. "What's this for?" He asked the witch. "An early Christmas gift. Enjoy." Jin watched her squeeze past him into the kitchen and leave through the front door. "Um . . . thank you?" Shrugging, he carefully clipped the delicate chain around his neck and tucked the stone charm under his shirt.  
  
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"All right . . . so we turn south here and continue down that path . . ." Lyra pointed to the well-worn trail that cut through the majestic forest on their way to the dorm. Kurama poked his head out of her messenger bag and growled. "Oh, really. Well then, why don't you lead the way, Oh mighty Kurama?" Lyra scooped the boy-turned-fox kit out of her bag and placed him on the ground in front of her. Instinctively, his bushy tail curled underneath his cream-colored belly and he started whining. Lyra sighed and kneeled, opening her bag so that Kurama could hop in. As soon as the kit saw what she was doing; however, he straightened his tail and held his delicate head up, then trotted off down the path. Lyra giggled at the macho act and slowly followed, careful not to pass Kurama or accidentally step on his tail.  
  
It wasn't long before he was perched on her shoulders, barking out directions and guiding her through the dense wooded area. "Um . . . Kurama, I don't think we're close to the dorm . . . " Lyra glanced at the kit from the corner of her eye and once again took out her crystal pendulum. Kurama rolled his green eyes, and yawned. How many more times was she going to check that thing? He could smell the familiar herb garden even from way out in the woods. Downwind, a twig snapped and both fox and girl turned towards the sound.  
  
Kurama hopped down from Lyra's narrow shoulders and went over to sniff at the nearby bush. "Kurama, be careful. It could be an undead." It seemed that Lyra had apparently jinxed them, as a rotting Satyr corpse strode out of the bushes. Kurama yipped and skittered back into Lyra's messenger bag. The satyr walked over to them, the bones in its left leg sticking out of the black, maggoty flesh with every step. Lyra flung up a defensive shield and started to run down the trail "We just get all the luck, don't we?" She panted to Kurama, who settled back farther in the bag and whimpered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lark peered down the laundry chute, swinging the hematite pendant in her hand. Luckily, Kuwabara wouldn't be too far from the chute and she could drop it in without him noticing the amulet actually fall. Soon, the red head came into view and she took careful aim, and then dropped the necklace. It thudded on his skull and Lark winced. So much for stealth . . .  
  
"Huh? What's this?" Kuwabara watched the thick chunk of rock swing from its chain before tucking it in its pocket. "Guess I'll ask one of the girls if it's theirs . . . Oh no! I forgot fabric softener!" Lark shook her head in disbelief. Kuwabara was in the finals of the annual tournament, and all he could think about was laundry? "He is a sad, sad man . . ." She muttered to herself as she walked down the hall.  
  
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"What the hell are you eating?" Yusuke stared as Rogerik took a bite out of a soy energy bar. The younger teen chewed and swallowed before replying to Yusuke, "I couldn't find much else. I don't really get hungry until later in the day, anyways."  
  
"Yeah, but a soy bar? We do have muffins and stuff."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, then? These things are disgusting." Rogerik tossed the half-eaten bar in the trash barrel and went over to scrounge in the pantry's far corners for baked goods. Yusuke leaned back on the corner and lazily gazed out the window, watching as the gulls flew in spiraling circles. "So . . . Have you seen Lark, Lyra, and Holly fight last year?" He asked; it was a poor conversation starter if anything else. Rogerik turned around, his search for a decent breakfast apparently unfruitful.  
  
"Um, yeah. Why?"  
  
"Nothing just curious."  
  
"You want some pointers, huh? Info, perhaps?"  
  
"Really?" Yusuke eagerly listened, but the look in Rogerik's eyes made him groan. "What do you want this time?"  
  
"You learn quickly. Ten bucks, dude."  
  
"What?! That's robbery!" Yusuke recoiled away from Rogerik, his hand possessively hovering over his wallet.  
  
"It'll be even worse if a couple of school-girls beat the winners of the dark tournament.  
  
"That isn't going to happen, Rogerik. Those three don't even stand a chance. "You don't know that much about their tactics; which is pretty sad since you've been living with them since late August. So . . ." Rogerik checked the calendar hanging on the wall before continuing. "It's almost mid-December now and you still haven't got a clue. The girls have probably been up late studying those tapes for over a week now." Damn . . . Yusuke had forgotten all about those tapes Koenma had sent Lark.  
  
"But ten dollars? Don't you think that's a little high for info that's out of date, Rogerik?"  
  
"Out of date? Whatever made you think I would swindle you like that?" Yusuke just balefully looked at Rogerik, and the blonde sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll give you a discount. How's five dollars sound?" He hopefully asked, not really expecting Yusuke to agree. Surprisingly, the Japanese boy grudgingly handed Rogerik a crumpled five-dollar bill. "Cool. Lyonell loaned me the tapes from last year's tournament and we've both recorded some of their last 'Offensive Tactics' classes. You can borrow the computer in my room, it can play DVDs." Rogerik fished out a small a small disc from his pocket and carefully placed it in Yusuke's hands. "Better hurry. The actual fight starts at noon and it already eleven"  
  
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Jin floated outside the guesthouse, impatiently waiting for Kayko and Botan. "How long does it take to get ready?" He griped. Hiei stood on the branch of an old, dilapidated oak tree that totally ruled the front lawn. "Depends on who it is. Kurama can take longer than this when he feels like it." The two demons lounged around in silence for a couple minutes, until Holly zoomed by on her broom. "Whoa! Oi, Holly! Where're you off to in such a rush?" The witch skidded to a stop and hovered in mid-air, Kyuro clinging onto her for dear life. "Something's not right. Lyra should've been here hours ago! I'm going to go look for her and Kurama out near the spring. See ya later!" She gave the boys a peace signal and zoomed off again, heading slightly northwest.  
  
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Lyra tripped over a tree root and stumbled, but regained her balance and quickly strengthened her shields. The satyr corpse swiped at her and lost its balance, toppling over onto its disfigured face. The monster lay still, face down on the needled covered forest floor. Kurama struggled out of Lyra's messenger bag and nervously sniffed at the prostrate cadaver. "Is it dead?" Lyra peered over Kurama's furry shoulder, ignoring the fox's glare, which basically said, 'No . . .really, Captain obvious?'  
  
"LYRA!" The wind witch wheeled her broom around and called down to her friend. Lyra was down in the thick forest, poking a corpse with a stick. Holly floated down even lower and called out to her oblivious friend once again. "Lyra! Hey! Up here!" Holly onto the polished handle with one hand and waved down. Lyra finally noticed her and waved back up, totally ignoring the dead body. A small kit Lyra was traveling with hopped onto the water-manipulator's shoulder and started to loudly bark, trying to get the girl's attention as to what was going on behind them.  
  
The monstrous being struggled to its feet in jerky movements, stretching up a grisly hand in an effort to take a swipe at Lyra. "Eep!" Holly dived down and stretched out a hand, which her friend managed to grab. As the two girls and their animalistic companions tore out of the woods like a bat out of Hell, Holly turned to Lyra. "What took you so long? We were worried sick." The older girl managed to balance her heavy bag on the back of the broom and righted herself. "Kinda busy . . . boy, I really was going in the wrong direction." She said, looking out over the horizon. Holly's broom kept climbing into the air, the girls desperate to get away from the hideous satyr.  
  
"I'll say . . . You were heading away from the main campus. Have you seen Kurama?"  
  
"Um, about that . . . can you promise not to tell anyone?" Holly stared at Lyra, barely dodging an incoming bird, and nodded. Lyra sighed in relief and whispered into the young witch's ear.  
  
"Whoa! No kidding? That little fox really is Kurama?"  
  
"Yeah . . . DUCK!" Holly skillfully swerved out of the way of a migrating flock of ducks and continued to stare at Kurama, who was looking a little sick. "Stop staring and hurry up! I want to take a shower and get changed before the match starts."  
  
"Right-o. To the house! But, really, I didn't think he'd turn out to be so cute and fuzzy." Kurama growled a warning, and Holly quickened the pace. 'If the rest of the day is anything like this,' the witch thought, ' its gonna be World War Three back at the dorm.'  
  
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KKC: It's done! Yes!  
  
Kurama: You didn't even start the final match. All that work just to build up the early morning?  
  
KKC: I have the gift of gab. Now, off to the Faire! *Dons medieval- style clothing*  
  
Kurama: *sweatdrop* Faire? King Richard's Faire?  
  
KKC: Correct, good sirrah! Now I must be off, for my carriage awaits! * Bows and runs out the door*  
  
Kurama: You mean the family sedan?  
  
KKC: Call it what ye may, Sir. I care not! To all reviewers, thy fourteenth chapter shall be up before next Wednesday! And may another section of "Wheel of Torture" grace your presence next week, as I am sure to have many new ideas of pain and suffering after visiting the Royal dungeon!  
  
Kurama: -_-+ Can it and get going! *Pushes KKC out the front door and shoves her into the car. KKC is complaining all the way*  
  
KKC: Sir, unhand me this instant or I shall unleash the dogs of war upon thee!  
  
Kurama: *straps her in the car next to her brothers and talks to Chris* She's all yours. Have fun.  
  
Chris: Oh, we will . . . we will. *Pulls out CD player and a Britney Spears CD*  
  
KKC: *Looks at the CD in horror* *whimpers* Enma help me . . . 


	14. The final begin, finally!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, yet.  
  
Quote of the week: "I don't care if I can see my breath and its forty-three degrees outside! Its still summer! Let's go swimming!" -Kawaii Kitsune Cub (don't ask, please. -_-;;;)  
  
Suzuka: Have fun at the fair?  
  
KKC: Faire, dude, Faire. There's an E at the end.  
  
Suzuka: Don't you dare call me "dude". So what did you do?  
  
KKC: *brightens up* Shot arrows at my brothers, threw knives and scared the living daylights out of my brothers, and hurled axes at Chris!  
  
Suzuka: *sweatdrop* Sounds like fun . . .  
  
KKC: I had to get them back ~somehow~ for making me listen to Britney Spears all the way up there. Ooh, and guess what?  
  
Suzuka: What?  
  
KKC: I got some awesome new ideas for "Wheel of Torture" today!  
  
Suzuka: *shudders* Wonderful . . .  
  
KKC: And look at what I found! *Points to a large russet-colored fox sleeping under her computer desk. His ears are unusually long and pointed, and he's really, really big; about the size of a Great Dane. *  
  
Suzuka: And that is.?  
  
KKC: I have no flippin' clue, actually. I think he's some rare breed of kitsune, but he's not very happy about being sold by his previous master.  
  
Suzuka: You're that . . . that Thing's master! *Points to the giant fox, who is starting to wake up*  
  
KKC: Dude, quiet! You'll wake him up!  
  
Suzuka: And how many times have I told you NOT to call me "Dude"?!!  
  
*Giant fox wakes up and growls at Suzuka, who "eep"s and promptly shuts up*  
  
KKC: Now that's what I'm talking 'bout! Welcome home, uh . . . what's your name?  
  
Fox: Grimoire.  
  
KKC: Ooh! A Grimoire! Those ARE rare! ^-^ Do you mind if I call you Grim?  
  
Grimoire: Yes, very much actually. Now start writing and leave me alone. I want to go mope some more.  
  
KKC: -_-* Party pooper . . .  
  
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KKC: Now, to finally start the finals! Hey, I made a pun! Hah!  
  
Audience: *boredly* yay. *Lazily waves little pennants around*  
  
KKC: *sweatdrop* Um . . .yeah. Not too enthusiastic, huh?  
  
Audience: *pelts KKC with rotten fruits and veggies*  
  
KKC: *Wipes tomato gunk off glasses and puts them back on* -_-* Fine, I know when I'm not wanted. *Stalks off stage to go type*  
  
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Lyra stepped out of her bathroom, a towel wrapped around her torso and her long hair dripping wet. Kurama was sprawled out on her bed, fast asleep. "Hey, you." Lyra picked him up by the scruff of the neck and deposited on the floor. "Out." She pointed to her door, and the fox meekly complied. Shutting the door behind Kurama, Lyra got out a set of clean clothes and a blow dryer. Plugging the machine in, she sat down on her bed and proceeded to dry her thick, long hair.  
  
Yesterday, she had noticed that the water main that was repaired last year wasn't too far from the ring. Maybe if Lark and her could force the water through the pipes and out under the ring, they could stage another attack like last year's; the tantei definitely wouldn't expect that coming from her and her sister. Twisters and wind storms were out of the question, Lyra had seen Jin at work during the Dark Tournament. She had seen all of them, actually, but hadn't paid too much attention and now she wished that she had. Her best bet to make it through this fight relatively unscathed were her shields, a natural talent.  
  
Lark, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as patient as her sister and charged right into the thick of a fight instead of wearing her opponent down. Holly was pretty well balanced with both defensive and offensive, but was the fastest of the three with her broom. Together, they could at least last a minute against the boys, or so she hoped.  
  
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Yusuke loitered by the commentator's stand, angrily pacing. "I can't believe he would just ditch us like this!"  
  
"Yusuke, you can't just pin all the blame on Kurama. He might just show up late."  
  
"Jin, you know as well as me that if Kurama isn't on time, he probably isn't going to show up at all." Jin mused over Yusuke's words and fell silent. Where was that fox?  
  
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Meanwhile, Kurama paced the kitchen floor, looking for a way out. The girls had left just a few minutes ago, and were careful to lock all the doors behind them . . .but surely, they wouldn't think of a window, would they? Kurama ran beside the kitchen counters, now huge Formica cliffs to him, and jumped onto the trash barrel lid, then onto the counter itself. He nervously checked the window over the sink. Locked . . .damn. The tiny fox jumped down onto the tile floor and slipped, sending him sliding across the kitchen and into the dining room.  
  
As Kurama looked around the dining room, he realized that none of the large windows had locks. Hope rising in his tiny chest, he rushed over to one of the plate-glass windows, trying to ignore the fingerprints and dead insects on the windowsill, and hastily checked for any latches or anything that might open the translucent barriers. Nothing.  
  
'Damn . . . well, I guess there's no other choice.' Kurama trotted over to the opposite side of the wall, gauged the distance, and started running straight for one of the giant windows. He braced himself for the impact of the shattering glass, and collided. WHAM! The fox stumbled back to his feet and growled at the window, still in one piece mind you, as if it was its fault for not breaking. Eventually, he stopped his ranting and took a closer look. It was made out of Plexiglass, and so was every other window in the place, goddammit.  
  
"Does little fox boy need some help?" Kurama turned towards the sarcastic voice, and Kyuro stepped out from his hidey-hole underneath the couch in the living room. Kurama stiffened and growled, trying to scare the cat away, but the small black cat just smirked. "Now, now, Kurama . . . don't get all uppity. I can help you. Being caged in is something I can't stand to see happen to someone, whether they be fellow familiar, annoying human, or demon."  
  
Kurama cocked his head in thought. The cat could be lying, or looking for someone to pin the blame on; but Bones was easily available to in case something broke or went missing. And how the heck did the cat know who really was? Of course he remembered that the familiar was bound to his master by the thick leather collar, Kyuro complained about it all the time; so maybe the cat's intentions really were good. The fox didn't really want to trust the cocky feline, but he didn't really have a choice either if he wanted to get to the tournament. Knowing he regret it later, he barked a 'fine'. The familiar sat on his haunches and started to clean his silky, black tail.  
  
"Good. Now follow me, we have to hurry if you plan on catching up to the others." Kyuro stretched and ran over to the room the two teachers shared, his eyes glowed a bright green for a minute and the door swung open. Kurama growled under his breath (something that kind of reverts to "Why didn't you just do that before?!") and Kyuro glared at him. "I would have opened the front door if I could, Kurama, But Holly and Erika put a lock on it so I can't get out unless I have their permission. If I could just find someone stupid enough to get this godforsaken collar off of me, then I wouldn't have to deal with you guys!" Again, Kurama snarled. The cat was getting way off subject. Kyuro was bound for a reason, and the fox didn't want to find out 'why' the hard way.  
  
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Lyonell leaned back in his chair. The girls had arrived with minutes to spare, and now he was waiting for the rest of the crowd to find a seat before getting started. Yes, this was the job he wanted when he got out of school. Ever since his friend, Koto (c'mon folks, you remember her! The fox referee!), had gotten a job to ref at the Dark Tournament he wished he could be in her place. Watching the blood spill, hearing the cheer of the hordes of spectators, that was all he really wanted; well, that and a six- figure paycheck. Finally, the crowd of students had gotten settled and he started announcing the fight.  
  
"And this year's finals match looks pretty good, folks! Let's give it up for the Urameshi team!" A round of scattered applause and cheers rumbled through the stands as the three fighters walked up to the center of the ring. Lyonell did a double glance and recounted the fighters. "Hey, guys," he called down. "What happened to Kurama and Kuwabara?" Yusuke pointed down to the sidelines, where Kuwabara was watching. "Well?" Lyonell asked. The redhead turned his head to the booth and sneered. "I don't fight girls! Its not gentlemanly-like."  
  
"Okaaaaay . . . um, what about Kurama?"  
  
"Who knows? He hasn't shown up since last night." Kuwabara shrugged. Lyonell sweatdropped but continued. "Uh-huh . . . Moving right along, then! And welcome back the Admarant team!" Ignoring the cheers and occasional wolf whistle, the three girls cheerily walked up to the center to face the boys. Lyra and Yusuke shook hands in respect, and when the girl pulled away Yusuke was left with a pendant swinging in his fist. "What the . . ?"  
  
"For good luck, Yusuke. Although I doubt that you'll need it."  
  
"Damn right I don't." Yusuke smirked and shoved the gift unceremoniously into his pocket. Farida walked out to the two teams, still as moody and sullen as ever. "What insolent beings, fighting to prove who is stronger, even though it is futile and shall never bring you anything but pain and grief." Jin stared at the pale teen and scuttled a few feet away from her. "Uh . . . bad day, lass?"  
  
"Every day is a bad day, demon. For every day we must brave this false world, going along our pre-determined paths, with no hope for change or redemption." The others stared at the ranting referee, not really anxious to stop her or interfere. It was Holly who finally spoke. "Guess so . . . um, excuse me? Farida?"  
  
"What do you want, mortal?"  
  
"Maybe, um, could you officially start the match? Hiei's looking a tad peeved at the hold up." And in truth, the Jaganshi was ready to attack the Cthulu worshipper. Farida noticed the murderous gleam in his red eyes and glared right back. "Very well. Begin." She lifted the bandanna above her head and let it fall, signaling the beginning of the match.  
  
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"Hurry up, fox. The fan might turn back on any minute!" Kyuro turned around and batted Kurama on the head, claws extended. The kit recoiled, and continued his trek through the dusty heating vents. If Kyuro was right, there would be a vent leading outside to Lark's greenhouse from her room. Behind them was a large fan, its sharp blades jammed by a metal bangle Kurama had stolen from Lark's room.  
  
Ahead of them was the scent of the many plants flourishing in the heated greenhouse, and Kurama hastened. He missed the smell of fresh flowers, and ever since winter had rolled around there wasn't really much to be found. All of the outside flowering plants that had managed to survive past November had fallen prey to the first frost last week. Actually, he was quite surprised that it hadn't snowed yet.  
  
The grating sound of Kyuro's claws on metal snapped him out of his little reverie. The cat familiar had hooked his sharp little claws on the vent grate and was trying to lift it up. "Well, don't just stand there!" He snapped. "Push the bottom open." Kurama nodded and bounded to the cat's side. He pushed his full weight against the grate and it fell from Kyuro's grasp with a metallic CLANG onto the floor below. Kyuro arched his back and hissed at the loud noise, glaring at Kurama at the same time. The fox received another claw swipe at his delicate ears before being shoved out of the vent and into the greenhouse.  
  
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Lark dodged over to the right, watching as Jin soared right by. She had totally forgotten that he could fly, and wished that she had watched those tapes of the Dark Tournament last night instead of rushing her Runes homework. "Lyra, where are those shields?" She called over to her sister. "I'm kinda busy over here! I'll put them up once I get Hiei off my back- OW! Jerk!" Lyra brought up a quick shield to block Hiei's next sword blow and ducked underneath to whap him in the face. The fire demon swore and grabbed her wrist, twisting it in the process. "Ooh . . . that doesn't look too good!" Lyonell's voice blared out of the loudspeakers, narrating every blow and attack. "And Yusuke's busy trying to shoot Holly out of the sky, but it's a no-go. Man, his aim sucks . . ."  
  
"Hey! I'd like to see you do better!" Kayko yelled at the cat demon, who jumped at least a foot in the air and hissed. "Hey, gimme a break, chick. I'm trying my best here." Lyonell turned back his mic and tried his best to smooth out his bristled fur. "Well, anyways, Jin's really breaking some speed records; Lark can't keep up with him." A deep ringing sound reverberated throughout the arena. "Wow, and she nailed him! That play was amazing, but I just have one question; WHERE THE HELL DID SHE PULL THAT FRYING PAN OUT OF?!!!"  
  
Yusuke snuck a glance over at Jin, who was stumbling around and trying to clear his blurry vision. The teen snickered for a moment, but was whacked in the face by the end of Holly's broom; the ashen twigs raked his face, leaving reddish-marks where they had contacted his skin and he could feel a faint burning sensation on his face. "Ah, Shit! What was that?!" Holly hovered a few feet away, appalled that her broom had caused such an injury. "I-I didn't know I could do that! Yusuke, I'm so sorry! I'll- oof!" The witch was knocked off of her broom by an air-borne Hiei, who jumped right back up to his feet and charged at Lyra, katana drawn.  
  
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"Koenma-sama, what a surprise. I thought you had some last minute paperwork to take care of." Botan slid over so the Reikai prince could sit down. Koenma, in his teenage form, unslung the heavy workbag from his shoulder and dug inside for a minute before pulling out a small laptop. "Yes, well I've managed to find a way to take my work with me. How's Yusuke and the others faring?" Botan sweatdropped as the prince booted up his computer and nervously replied. "Uh . . . not so good, sir. Kurama is missing, Kuwabara refuses to fight the girls, and Yusuke just got a face full of broom. And I'm still trying to figure out how Lark managed to get Jin in the head with a frying pan, considering the fact that she didn't have anywhere to hide it."  
  
"A frying pan? Yusuke and the others are getting beaten by a girl with a frying pan? Wait, did you say Lark?" Koenma stared at the ferry girl, totally ignoring his laptop. Botan nodded, then grimaced as Hiei managed to cut a small chunk of Lyra's hair from the end of her thick braid. Both Koenma and Botan watched as the water manipulator and fire demon fired two blasts, Lyra's a tremendous wave of water and Hiei's a stream of bluish- white fire. The two attacks met in the middle of the arena and erupted into a cloud of hot steam that enclosed the entire ring. "Whoa! Haven't seen that move before, then again, maybe the Urameshi team has just walked right into another trap. You can't really see anything through this thick mist, geez . . . Can't really commentate either. So, um, you guys can just try to make heads or tails of the fight and I'll just kinda sit here . . . yeah . . . and wait." Chrysanthemum walked in behind her brother and took a seat at the second mic. "Gee, what a brilliant idea. No wonder Senior Ryo wanted me to help out at the finals. There's a battle going on down there and you're sitting here twiddling you thumbs." Lyonell recoiled away from her. "Hey! What're you doing here? Go 'way. I can handle this on my own. Hey, the steam's clearing up! Whoo-hoo! I can see-"  
  
"-said the blind man." Crysanthemum finished the line and Lyonell just stared at his twin sister. "Um . . . yeah, whatever. Poor Lark, she's in a headlock from Jin, a pretty painful one, too by the look on her face." Jin turned to the burned Yusuke, holding Lark over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes; the younger girl was kicking and screaming such obscenities that the likes of which will never be written in a fan fiction. "You okay there, Urameshi?" He asked. Yusuke fired off another weak Spirit Gun, this time singeing the end of Holly's broom. "Nah, I'll be okay. But I'm pretty sick of having to fight at only half power, can we kick it up a notch and get this over with?"  
  
"Get it over with?! Half power?!! Yusuke you idiotic jackass! Go ahead, use some of your real strength. I'll take you on any day!" Lark managed to kick Jin in the ribs and jumped down. She stalked over to Yusuke and grabbed the surprised teen by his collar, dragging him down to eye level. "Either play to your full potential or don't play at all. I can stand up to whatever you throw at me." Yusuke looked over Lark's shoulder to Jin for help, but the wind master had his hands up in an gesture of innocence. 'Some help he is.' Yusuke mentally griped, then turned back to the matter at hand. "Uh, look, Lark . . . I really would if I could, but if I went full power on you, you'd be a pile of ashes right about now."  
  
"I know, Yusuke. Remember who has the tapes?"  
  
"Yeah, but- Holy Shit!" Yusuke pulled out of Lark's grip on his collar and yanked her down to the ground. Between Jin and Holly, the wind speeds were picking up to be that of a hurricane's. To his dismay, Yusuke could already see small rain clouds gathering above the ring, and a cold rain was starting to fall. "What the hell is this?!" the teen turned to Lark for an answer or two, but the girl's blue-green eyes were now glowing and she was chanting something under her breath. As she chanted, lightning bolts flew from the black cloud that ominously hung over the arena, striking the ground in bright flashes.  
  
Hiei dodged one of the dangerous bolts and snuck behind Lyra, using her exceptional shields as cover from the lightning. He charged at her, Fist of the Mortal Flame burning brightly even in the chilly downpour, and struck. Lyra was so busy setting up the miniature storm that she wasn't able to react in time as the fire demon slipped through a gap in her shields and struck, charring her shirt and side. She screamed, and suddenly the full brunt of the storm was upon Hiei. Electricity flashed all around him in a dazzling display, the rain and wind chilling him straight to the bone. It was like the biblical flood that had washed the earth clean was targeted on him, leaving his other teammates on the outside with little chance of making it through the vicious storm. The wind was like daggers, tearing his clothes and slicing his flesh with the precision of a surgical scalpel.  
  
"And it looks like Hiei is a tough spot there." Lyonell loved it; every moment he could get his enthralled audience on the edge of their seat like this made the entire job worth it. Chrysanthemum glared at her twin and added a bit of her own dialogue. "Well, I would be pissed too if someone ruined a shirt like that, WHILE I WAS WEARING IT!"  
  
"I'm sure you would. Dude! Look at all that blood!" Lyonell watched as several students paled at the sight, quite a few of them rushing off into the bushes to puke. Boy, had he killed it. Rule number one of commentating (I'm making these up, there are no rules to commentating; trust me. If there had been, I would've broken them all by now. ^ ^;;) , keep your audience excited, not so grossed out that they had to tango with the toilet every few minutes. The two twins could only stare as the storm ravaged upon Hiei, for words weren't needed, nor could be found, as the demon was thrashed by the small natural disaster.  
  
Kurama slunk underneath the crowded stands, searching for a place he could watch the fight from undetected. What worried him was the burst of spiritual energy just a few seconds ago, forming into a swirling storm. He doubted that just one person could channel that much power into a natural element like rain or wind, except for Jin of course. No, this matrix of sparkling spiritual power and chilling rain was a mix of three different energies, all working together to create an ungodly force. Kurama's reddish fur was bristled and his tail twitched endlessly, the static energy of the lightning creating waves of power that irritated his skin to no end.  
  
Finally, he found a spot down near the far end. Rushing to it, he was surprised to hear Koenma and Botan talking above him. Kurama paused for a minute, cocking an ear so he could hear their conversation over Lyonell's voice. "I haven't seen Lark since she was about five, when her mother was still around."  
  
"Really, sir? I heard Lyra mention their mother once or twice, but not enough to get a clear picture of what she was like."  
  
"She was quite pretty, it was easy to see why Micheal had fallen for her. Petite with long black hair and gorgeous eyes." Koenma sighed, remembering the necromancer's visit to his palace. " The funny thing was, she never had any respect for authority. In fact, the first time we met, she called me a closed-minded asshole."  
  
"What?! B-but didn't she know who you were?"  
  
"Of course she did. She had snuck away from her husband and kids so she could give me a piece of her mind. Micheal was working for my father at the time, helping put some of the wandering souls to rest."  
  
"But a necromancer . . . I thought that your father hated them."  
  
"He still does, but Micheal wasn't interested in reawakening souls; rather, he sent them to spirit world. He actually created the wind pipes out here, the ones that help keep the undead away from the school." Kurama almost didn't notice when the spirit prince looked over his shoulder and picked him up roughly by the scruff of his neck. "Eaves-dropping, Kurama?"  
  
The fox yipped and struggled free of Koenma's grasp, nipping the prince on the finger in the process. Kurama ran behind Botan, who was too surprised to do much else but stare at the cursing ruler of Reikai. "Kurama, what happened?" The former human snorted and barked. Koenma seemed to understand what the fox was saying and started to chuckle under his breath. "So, Youko got you stuck in this mess? Now that's a laugh. Of course I won't tell anyone, if you don't want me too. And neither will Botan . . .right?"  
  
"Who, me? I'm lost! I don't know what's going on." Botan put her hands up in a sign of defeat and nervously grinned. Koenma and the kit exchanged looks and then sighed. "Perhaps its better if you stay clueless . . . just treat this fox," Koenma pointed to the tiny canine. " like its any normal dog." The kit growled, and Koenma hurriedly corrected himself. "Except for the cuddling and baby talk, he doesn't really like to be touched." Koenma packed up his laptop and extra paperwork, slinging the bag back on his shoulder and nodding a goodbye to his two employees. "I'll see you later. Tell me who won." The prince snuck a glance at the girls, still powering the eerie storm. "It's amazing how those two sisters look so much like their mother . . ." The three of them watched as Hiei was propelled out of the ring, the ferocious lightning driving him back, and flinched as he was thrown into a large tree, slipping down to reveal a Hiei-shaped imprint in the massive trunk (think 'George of the jungle' there, folks). Koenma sweatdropped, and shrugged before turning back to Kurama and Botan. "Riiight . . . see ya." The prince waved and disappeared, teleporting back to his castle.  
  
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Yuske could only watch as the much shorter demon was thrown right out, too dazed to make it back in for the ten-second count. "Shit. Just our luck." Jin nodded in agreement, protecting both of the fighters from the girls' electric storm. "Aye, it's not going to be fun and games now. I'd hate to hurt them, though." Yuske stared in shock at the wind master. "Not even a few lumps on the head? Come on, they've had it coming."  
  
"Yeah, but you usually instigate 'em." Jin smirked, knowing he'd pushed one of Yusuke's buttons by pinning the blame on him. "Yeah, whatever. Blame it on me, like everyone else does. As if it isn't bad enough with an entire campus full of teachers and the other guys in class, my own roommate turns on me."  
  
"Turn on you? I'm no back-stabber, Urameshi." Great, now they were starting to argue. Not a good idea with raindrops the size of hailstones and hail the size of baseballs falling about them. Yusuke resisted the urge to pick up one of the afore-mentioned hailstones right now and whip it at his Youkai partner, as it would be a whole heckuva lot harder to get all three girls down on his own. "Alright, here's the plan. We just get this done as soon and painless as possible without any interruptions, okay?"  
  
"I could've come up with ~that~, Yusuke. Real brilliant plan . . ."  
  
"Well, its definitely the most appeasing one I could think of at the moment. OW!" Yusuke rubbed his face from where a rogue Hailstone had snuck by Jin's windy defenses and whacked him in the head. "Jerk, you did that on purpose."  
  
"Now why would I, oh fearless leader?"  
  
"Tch. Whatever. Let's get Holly first, I'll take the right and you come in from the left." Yusuke and Jin split up, blocking the hail and sleet with their spirit energy. Jin flew up high, trying to distract Holly while Yusuke rushed in from below. The witch was quite a sight, choppy red hair whipping around in the wind, green eyes faintly glowing, the pupils nearly invisible. The storm seemed to have taken a bit out of the girls, they weren't even really conscious to what they were doing or where they were.  
  
Yusuke leaped up in the air, ready to attack when the bolt came, a streaking flash of white electricity the jumped from the black storm cloud. He couldn't move or react, there was no time as it shot straight at him, and he closed his eyes, remembering his fight with Suzaku all too clearly. But it never hit. Yusuke opened his eyes, and yelped in surprise as the small charm Lyra had given to him was sucking up the energy, funneling it all into a tiny, harmless stream of lightning. Jin's was doing the same, keeping the bolts at bay while he lightly whapped Holly on across the face. She blinked, shook her head, and almost fell off of her broom before finally clearing her thoughts. "Whoa . . ." She gently lowered her ride to the ground and stumbled off, massaging her throbbing temples.  
  
The storm started to slow down, the winds dissipating and dispersing, now that the wind witch was out of the cycle of energy. The black cloud was starting to look a little less foreboding, and Yusuke quickly put two and two together. "Hey, Jin! Try to get them to wake up! It'll stop the rain." The redhead nodded, carefully handing the drained Holly over to Kuwabara, and flew towards Lark.  
  
Yusuke fired off his spirit gun, trying to blast a hole through Lyra's impressive shield, but it bounced back and blew a hole in the ring floor. "Great . . . just great. Jin, how you doing over there?" Yusuke yelled over to the wind master, who was cheerfully putting the younger sister out of commission. "Wait a sec' . . . there!" Jin grinned and pinched a tendon on Lark's slender neck, and the girl slumped over, completely out of it. "Want some help, Urameshi?" Jin floated a few feet off the ground, watching his comrade try to break the impenetrable shield. "No, you think so? It'll take forever to take down this shield either way. There really aren't any weak spots at least none we can get through . . . but maybe a draft could." The boys grinned at each other and Jin drew up a small breeze, channeling it through the tiny crack in Lyra's defensive barrier. "Maybe we could crack it from the inside, ya know?"  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking, Jin. Now why don't you try building up the pressure in there? She's starting to look tired." Yusuke chuckled in glee. Lyra had trapped herself in her own shield. Maybe that pendant really did bring you good luck . . .  
  
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"Hey, um, anyone know what they're doing down there? I kind of got lost after the lightning and stuff."  
  
"Of course you did, Lyonell. You hate thunderstorms."  
  
"Shaddup." The cat demon twitched his furry tail and quietly leaned over the control board as his sister continued on into the microphone about the fight. It was coming to a close, and just about time too. A stalemate would've been boring as all hell, just like Chrysanthemum's lousy job at announcing. "And it looks like Yusuke and Jin are trying to force Lyra to break her barrier from the inside-" Her mic went dead in her hands. Lyonell happily swung back to his chair and put his feet up on the desk. "Well, looks like she got cut off there. Might as well continue where she left off . . ."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jin could see her will breaking, the shield flickered for a moment, then again, before it crashed down into a shattered mess of glass-like energy shards. Lyra tried to dodge Jin's mild gust of wind, but it knocked her too her knees and she stayed there, too tired to move or speak. The demon floated over the sharp shards and braced her on his shoulder. "You okay?" He asked, but she just collapsed into a pitiful heap. Yusuke put other her arm over his shoulder and looped his other hand around to lift her up. "Come on, we better get her to the medical tent. She ain't looking too hot. Oi, Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled over his shoulder to the big lug, who was busy helping some of the medical students with Lark, Holly, and Hiei.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell Kayko I'll be a while. I'm sure she'll understand." Kuwabara nodded, but was pushed aside by the brown-haired girl. "Don't worry! We'll meet you down at the infirmary!" Turning to the awakening Lark, she was immediately caught up in a whispered conversation. Yusuke shook his head at his unofficial "girlfriend" and sighed. "I am never going to understand her." Jin smirked at Yusuke's comment. Apparently his younger roommate hadn't heard Lark, but he supposed it was all for the better.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
KKC: *sighs* Wow, that was long. And I still have to do "Wheel of Torture" . . . @_@  
  
Suzuki: I'm surprised it turned out as it did.  
  
KKC: I know . . . I was originally have the girls win, due to my sister's request, but I didn't want to write the after-party in this chapter. Besides, it wouldn't really make sense for Hiei, Yusuke, and Jin to lose, now would it?  
  
Suzuki: I guess not . . . WHAT IS THAT THING!!! *points to the giant wheel*  
  
KKC: The "Wheel of Torture" of course! ^ ^ What else did you think it would be?  
  
Suzuki: A weird and twisted rendition of "The price is Right" ?  
  
KKC: *sweat drop* Don't get you hopes up, man. And today as our guest star, we have . . . *drumroll* Fangirlitis!  
  
Fangirlitis: *runs in, and fixes her hair* Uh-huh! Ooh . . . can I pick? Pleeeaaaseee?  
  
KKC: I don't see why not. *Holds up baseball cap with a bunch of tiny slips of paper in it. On each slip is the name of a character and who requested it*  
  
Fangirlitis: *changes to Tylor* Cool! *rummages around in hat and finally pulls one out* Let's see . . .  
  
KKC: *in cheesy game-show host voice* And today's victim is . . . TYLOR?! How the hell did that get in there?  
  
Tylor: It's signed by Chris.  
  
KKC: Oh . . . just pick again.  
  
Tylor: * picks another slip of paper from the hat* I win! *holds up the slip. It has his name on it and is once again reuested by Chris*  
  
KKC: *Growls* He's been fooling around with the ballots again . . . *sees Tylor cross-legged on the floor, picking out slips. All of them are the same*  
  
Tylor: Wow, he must really hate me! ^-^  
  
Suzuki: It would seem so . . .  
  
KKC: Are there any more in there?  
  
Tylor: * turns out hat* Nope . . .  
  
KKC: *grabs a pen and scrap of paper out of her vest pocket, turns around and quickly scribbles something on it, then nonchalantly drops it on the floor by Tylor* Oops . . . you missed one.  
  
Tylor: Huh? Oh! *picks up slip and reads it* Today's victim is Suzuki!  
  
Suzuki: Wha-at?!  
  
Tylor: Requested by me! Hey wait a sec . . . I didn't write this . . .  
  
KKC: Yes you did. Trust me. *crosses fingers behind her back*  
  
Tylor: Cool! I made a suggestion and didn't even know it. I rock!  
  
KKC: *strapping Suzuki to a gurney so he doesn't get away* What are you standing there for? Go ahead and spin the wheel.  
  
Tylor: Yay! *spins wheel super-fast. It lands on "Cauldoning"* Yay! I get to Cauldone Suzuki! Whatever that means!  
  
Suzuki: *turns white as a sheet, as he obviously knows what the term means* No . . . you wouldn't . . .  
  
KKC: *insanely grins* I was going for a medieval theme this week; like it?  
  
Tylor: What do I do?  
  
KKC: Watch and learn. You might want to take notes. *rips a sheet of paper out of a composition notebook and hands it to him, letting him use the back of the notebook to write on, along with a pen.*  
  
Tylor: *eyes widen* Is that THE notebook?  
  
Suzuki: What? The notebook?  
  
Tylor: Yeah. The one she maps out her fics in . . . *starts to open it*  
  
KKC: Open it and you die!  
  
Tylor: *Slams cover shut* Okay! ^ ^ *as soon as KKC turns her back to get the equipment; however, he slowly opens it a little*  
  
KKC: *from opposite room* NO TOUCHIE!  
  
Tylor: Yes ma'am! *looks at the junk KKC is bringing in* Ooh . . . shiny . . .  
  
KKC: Um . . . yeah. Anyways, first make sure the victim is bound down tightly. As you can see, we already have this step done for you. *points to the pale Suzuki, who is surprised that she's actually following through with it*  
  
Tylor: *furiously scribbling down notes* Uh-huh . . . And?  
  
KKC: Next, you want to set up the cage on the victim's abdomen. It sould have four walls, a roof, and a door, but no floor. *holds up cage* See? *puts it on Suzuki, using his chest as the cage floor, and ties it down*  
  
Suzuki: Please, I beg of you, don't do it.  
  
KKC: Sorry dude, but its an educational experience, something that my sister and Tylor aren't exposed to often. Just be a good sport about it, okay. *to Tylor* Next, you put some hot coals on the cage roof. Make sure it isn't blocking the cage door, folks. *shovels some red-hot coals onto the cage roof. One falls and lands on Suzuki*  
  
Suzuki: OW! Damn, that hurts!  
  
Tylor: Wuss . . .  
  
KKC: Now here's the fun part. Take about ten or twenty small and hungry rats- *holds up a container with the ravenous little vermin* - and put them in the cage. * slides open the cage door and tips the rats into the cage*  
  
Tylor: Now what?  
  
KKC: Well, you keep stoking the coals until the rats can't stand it. Eventually, the heat will be so unbearable that the rats will burrow into the victims insides to escape it.  
  
Tylor: Ooh . . . positively disgusting . . . Let's watch!  
  
KKC: Remember kids, don't try this at home! *turns to watch Suzuki, who is screaming in agony* Eew . . . Ecchy . . .  
  
Tylor: Wow . . .  
  
KKC: You okay, man?  
  
Suzuki: Do I look okay?! I have rodents eating my insides- OH MY GOD!!!! THERE GOES ONE NOW!!!!!!! *stares in horror at the small lump moving up his arm, much like the scarabs did in "The Mummy"*  
  
KKC: O-kay! Time to cut this short! *yanks off cage and coals. Turns to Tylor, who is watching in revolting fascination as the lumps scurry around under Suzuki's skin* Tylor, Call Kurama! Yukina! Anyone who can get these things out quick!  
  
Tylor: Better not get Yukina, she shouldn't be seeing this type of stuff. Zzzzhow 'bout Hiei?  
  
KKC: Why Hiei?! Kurama can heal and Hiei can't! *panicking*  
  
Tylor: I know, I'll call Kuraa too. But Hiei's gonna get a kick outta this . . .  
  
KKC: I guess you're right . . . *vainly tries to ignore Suzuki* Well, until next time folks . . . See ya! *Peace sign* And please remember to Review while you're at it. 


	15. The night after

Disclaimer: Need I urge you to look up "Fan-fiction"? I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Quote of the week: "Oh my god! WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!" -Kuwabara  
  
KKC: Wow, reviews from both Hies2dreamer AND Babydeathearthdragon. Thank you Kathy; Now that you've reviewed, we can work on that short-term memory loss problem you have.  
  
Yusuke: What took you so long?  
  
KKC: Not only did the fifteenth chapter get erased *glares at Chris and Sean, who are trying to look as innocent as possible* But I was . . . busy.  
  
Yusuke: Busy?  
  
KKC: *coughs* yes. Now, let's get this over with.  
  
Yusuke: No, I'm interested. What possibly separated you from your computer-  
  
KKC: MOVING ON! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke balanced his chair on two legs and boredly tapped a pencil on his homework. Sighing, he glanced at Lyra, who was still sound asleep in a pitiful little puddle, the small fox she had found was curled up next to her. The kit was wide awake and sat next to its companion in a snug little ball. "So . . . read any good books lately?" Yusuke asked, not even expecting an answer from the quiet fox. Green eyes glared and the Japanese teen was suddenly staring at the kit's furred back. "Didn't think so. Man, this sucks. There goes my date with Kayko . . ."  
  
The annoyed fox growled and snapped at Yusuke. "What? Like you even know how to deal with girls. You animals have it easy in the companion department, I'll tell you that." Kurama sniffed and hopped down from his soft bed, trotting past Yusuke on his way downstairs. "Mutt . . ." Yusuke muttered, not noticing the small kit swerve towards the chair and bat at one of the two teetering legs. Within nanoseconds, Yusuke sprawled out on the thick, sea-blue carpet and watched the fox's retreating back. "You little shit! Wait'll I get my hands on you!"  
  
Rogerik sighed and flipped a page in his notebook, then continued to furiously scribble down notes for his Plant Science class for the next day. "Hey, want something to eat?" The blond glanced up at the bowls of steaming rice Jin had brought up from the kitchen and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Put it over there." He pointed to a hastily cleared spot on Holly's writing desk and finished another paragraph before grabbing the food and a pair of chopsticks. Jin leaned back in the chair next to Holly's bed and toyed around with his own chopsticks for a while before finally asking his friend, "So, what're you doing?"  
  
"Homework. Plant Science. Due Tomorrow."  
  
"Not one for multi-tasking, eh Rogerik?"  
  
"Nope . . . don't you have anything to work on?"  
  
Jin blinked for a moment, then apparently tried to recall any homework he might have missed. "Uh, no not really . . . Oh Crap!" Rogerik jumped and put down his dinner. "What?" he testily answered. Jin glanced at the clock and groaned. "I'm in deep shit, that's what. Its eleven o'clock already and I have a five-page report on this stupid weed called "glimroot" due first thing in the morning!"  
  
"A little slower there, Jin. Who's it for?"  
  
"Rachel! Of all the luck, damn it all!" Rogerik pulled his assignment notebook out of his backpack and started to flip through it. "Uh, we don't have anything about Glimroot for Rachel's class. See?" He tossed the book to his demon roommate, who caught it and flipped it back. "Yeah, I know. It's a make-up paper."  
  
"For . . ?"  
  
"The paper I missed on Rainforest herbs."  
  
"But we didn't have one on Rainforest herbs . . ." Rogerik started looking through his notebook and carefully read the small, messy writing under each day.  
  
"I know you didn't. It was a make-up paper for that test I missed."  
  
"You mean that test on how to prune Purple snipers?"  
  
"Er . . . yeah. That was it." Jin grabbed a pencil from Holly's desk and snagged his notebook from the floor. Grimacing at the fuzzy purple pencil, he put it back and picked out a more normal writing utensil. "But that was back in October!" Jin shrugged and opened to a new page, clean of doodles and chicken-scratch notes. "Whatever . . . Think she'll fall for five pages if I made it up?"  
  
"Five pages of Bovine Scatology? Doubt it."  
  
"Nice title . . . what's it mean?"  
  
"Five pages of Bull Shit. Fits it, ne?"  
  
"Definitely." The two students glanced at each other and burst out laughing, stopping only when the half-conscious Lark drenched them both in a wave of ice-cold water before falling back asleep.  
  
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Hiei scoped out the view in front of him, ignoring the irritating crashes in the underbrush below him. Finally, eyes narrowed, he jumped back down and ran over to Kuwabara, appearing at the human's side in a flash. "What are you doing? Can't you send that thing away?" Kuwabara shrugged and clutched even harder onto Bones' collar. "At least he knows where he's going. I still say we're moving farther away from Kurama."  
  
"That's why what you say doesn't matter. Now have that "dog" of yours find his trail." Kuwabara glared, too tired to reply. Finally, he managed to call the skeleton dog over and get Bones to concentrate on finding the fox. Bones immediately straightened up and, in true pointer fashion, struck out due North. "He went thataway." Kuwabara helpfully said, ignoring the demon's glare for the time being. "You're trusting that dog to pick up the scent trail?"  
  
"Why not? He has some bloodhound in him."  
  
" . . . somewhere in Japan, a village is missing its idiot . . ."  
  
"Bite my ankles, shrimp." Kuwabara swung at Hiei, who leaped up into the branches above. The demon plucked something long and silvery from the sap- covered branch and leaped back down, the shimmering strand of Kurama's hair in hand. "He was here, recently too." Kuwabara snagged the hair from the demon's grasp and held it out to Bones, who took a good look at it and ran up the trail. The skeleton turned around and clacked his jaws at the two tantei, an obvious sign that they should follow him.  
  
The twisting path led to a shimmering lake, in the most unimaginable shade of blue. A cozy cottage was tucked away on the Eastern side and the trees were tightly clustered, their now bare branches sweeping towards the sky. "Wow. This is beautiful . . ." Kuwabara looked around at his surroundings, totally ignoring the splintered path of pine trees to the far west. Hiei, however, was feeling quite antsy. Something big was waiting underneath the calm water, and it had almost the same energy signal as the creature last night.  
  
"Idiot, don't get too close to the shore. Something's not right-" The demon was cut off by Kuwabara's fall into the pond and sighed. "Wha-? Arghh! Its after me!"  
  
"What is, you fool?" Hiei sneered and watched as the red-head struggled to his feet and ran to the shore. "Something tried to grab me! It was all scaly and stuff . . ." Kuwabara shuddered at the thought, but suddenly grabbed Hiei by the shoulder and pointed to the quickly submerging fin. "See? I bet it's that thing that attacked Kurama last night! Maybe it's still hungry." The fire demon glared at Kuwabara and stuck his katana into the shallows where the fin had sank, impaling a small perch on the sharp blade. "See? It's just a fish. Now lets go find Kurama." Kuwabara nodded, then dumbly gaped behind them, towards the center of the lake. Hiei glared at his less-than-brilliant companion, then asked, "What is it now, baka?"  
  
"Water . . ." The two students turned and looked out towards the center of the spring. The water was bubbling and frothing; suddenly it erupted into a giant spout of swirling water, eerily blue and hypnotizing. The torrent dispersed and out stepped a petite woman. Her long black hair continued past her ankles and swirled in the water of which she stood upon, wavy and glossy. She opened her eyes, which were a bright azure color, and smirked.  
  
"I'm not into eating demon flesh, its too tough and chewy. Humans however . . ." Kuwabara gulped and scuttled away from the shore, not at all anxious to get near the strange woman. She strode across the water, smiling that odd little smirk of hers and stopped in front of Hiei. "What did you do with Kurama, wench?" The demon growled. The woman shrugged and glared right back, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Let's just say he's gotten a new leash on life, along with a new collar and water dish."  
  
"You mean that furball Lyra brought home?" Kuwabara called, from the treeline. The spirit nodded, her masses of wavy hair rippling in the water with every movement. "Yes. It's a test, but I seemed to have forgotten what to do in order to accomplish this task. Lets see . . . I need something original, but not overly scandalous." She chewed her thumbnail and hummed a small tune to herself, obviously deep in thought. Hiei strained to listen her incoherent mumblings, and managed to catch some syllables of her extensive thinking process. She was singing the lyrics to "Broadway" by the Goo Goo Dolls; Unbelievable.  
  
'This woman is insane.' Was all that Hiei could think of while she repeated the chorus under her breath one more time, and then straightened up. "I got it! Kurama has to go recover a dragon's greatest treasure; a simple task for the little kleptomaniac. Go tell him what his test is, I'm in no mood to do any dream messages tonight." She flipped the two boys a peace sign and disappeared below the shallow water.  
  
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Kurama curled up on his favorite armchair and sighed. 'Finally, some peace and quiet.' The silence was short lived, however, as Kyuro trotted in, looking for someone to bug. "So, Kurama. I heard that this is a test, am I right?" Kurama rolled his eyes and nodded, too tired to ignore the cat. Kyuro sat down on his haunches and started to clean his paws. "So, what is your test?" Kurama cocked his head in thought for a moment before the sudden realization that the spirit had forgotten to tell him what the test was dawned on him. He sighed in exasperation and dejectedly hung his head. Kyuro smirked and silently left the living room for the kitchen.  
  
He was still a fox, with no known way to change back, Christmas was in almost two weeks, and he still hadn't gotten a gift for his mother or friends. Maybe he could just send himself, gift-wrapped with a bow and typed letter? He shuddered as he remembered the terrarium Yusuke and Kuwabara had worked on in environmental studies; and despite their standings on rules and directions, air holes weren't something you left out of a cage. Ever.  
  
The door swung open and Bones bounded in, pacing eagerly by the door for his owner to come in. Kuwabara cautiously stepped around the skeleton dog and shook out his jacket before bending down and unclipping Bones' leash. He pointed to the fireplace and commanded, "Go to bed, bud." The dog nodded his head and bounced over to the brick fireplace, collapsing in a heap upon the rug. The green orbs dimmed to a very faint glow and the dog's skull sighed, unhinging the jaws and leaving them detached.  
  
Kurama stretched his short legs and yawned, exposing his sharp little teeth. He was all set to go to sleep, it was almost midnight anyways. He curled up into a tight ball and was about to doze off when Hiei roughly grasped him by the scruff of his neck. "We need to talk, Kurama."  
  
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The next morning . . .  
  
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Holly blinked, and tried to lift up a hand to block the bright sunlight. "What the?" She mumbled and tried to lift up her arm again. Glancing down, she noticed that Jin was half-way sprawled out on her comforter, contentedly snoring and drooling while he slept. Sighing, she tried to push the sleeping demon off of her torso, and failed to do so. She did manage to get one arm out from under Jin and started to absent-mindedly flick one of his long ears as she tried to figure out a way to get him off.  
  
The red-head mumbled something in his sleep and unconsciously tried to shoo her hand away. Amused, Holly flicked his ear a few more times and snickered as Jin woke up with a start, falling with a thud to the hardwood floor as his chair slid out from under him. Cursing, the youkai rubbed his sore head and balefully glanced at the wind witch. "Why'd ya have ta wake me up fer? I was having such a nice dream, too . . ."  
  
"You were crushing my ribcage, and drooling all over my bed." Holly pointed to the wet spot on her comforter, and Jin blushed. "Sorry 'bout tha'." He mumbled as he floated above the floor, sitting indian-style. "Want anything fer breakfast? You've been sleeping ever since you passed out at the tournament yesterday." As if on cue, Holly's stomach loudly growled. She smiled a little and sat up in her bed. "Yeah, a little toast, maybe?" Jin nodded and zoomed downstairs, almost crashing into Kuwabara on the way down.  
  
"Hey, Jin! Watch where you're going!" He yelled, still yawning. Kuwabara was already dressed and had his back pack slung over his shoulder, which he tossed on the dining room table before sleepily stumbling into the kitchen. Yusuke was over by the sink, grumpily cleaning up the piles of tuna-fish cans that were scattered around the counter. Kuwabara blinked and asked, "What happened?" Yusuke glared at his friend. "Oh, you know how cats are . . . stealing your food when you're not looking, getting fur all over your clothes, LEARNING HOW TO USE THE CAN OPENER!" Yusuke directed the last part of his sarcastic comment at Kyuro, who was hiding out of reach on top of the refrigerator.  
  
"It wasn't me, It was that stupid mutt Lyra brought home yesterday!" he hissed, arching his back and puffing out his silky, black fur. Kuwabara glanced up at the familiar, then back down at the mess that covered the kitchen counter. "Nah, Kurama would've been neater. He also would have unplugged the can opener when he was done."  
  
"Er, Kuwabara, Kurama has been missing for two days now." Yusuke said, tossing an armload of empty cans into the trash barrel. The taller boy shook his head and answered, "Nuh-uh. The spring spirit-person said that he had to complete this test or something." Yusuke raised an eyebrow at Kuwabara. "Yeah, right. What makes you think I'm buying that?" Jin shot in and started to make himself a batch of toast, just noticing the conversation Yusuke and Kuwabara were having.  
  
"Hm? What about Kurama?" He asked, his speech a little muffled as he held the twist-tie to the bread bag in his mouth and popped the slices into the toaster. "This idiot-" Yusuke jerked a thumb in Kuwabara's direction, "- Thinks that Kurama has been hanging around here for the last two days he's been missing. "He's not lying, Yusuke. That fox kit is Kurama." The three students turned towards the kitchen doorway, where Hiei was leaning, dressed in black jeans and long-sleeved shirt. "Kurama as a wee kit?" Jin asked, smirking all the while. Hiei nodded and all four of them stared as the groggy fox trotted into the kitchen.  
  
Yusuke scooped the kit up, ignoring his surprised yelp of protest. Staring the fox straight in the eye, he cocked his eyebrow again and shrugged before putting Kurama back onto the linoleum floor. "The eyes look familiar, but that's about it."  
  
"No shit, Sherlock. If he was changed into an animal, you wouldn't really recognize him, would you?" Hiei sarcastically stated.  
  
"Yeah, and I wouldn't recognize you either if you were a pile of ashes right about now . . ." Yusuke muttered, glaring right back at the shorter demon. Surprisingly, it was Kuwabara who came to Hiei's defense. "Hiei has a good point, Urameshi. Besides, that fox is way too smart to be normal." Jin quietly snuck back upstairs to Holly and Lark's room before the arguing could get any worse, the tray of food floating behind him.  
  
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Salvatore screeched, beating his wings furiously against the bars of his spacious cage. It was far too late for Lyra to be sleeping, and he wanted out. Joyously, he shrieked as his raven-haired owner stumbled out of bed and pulled open the curtains, letting in the bright winter sunshine. Still half-asleep, she opened Salvatore's cage and held out a hand so the little parrot could climb up, onto her shoulder. "W-what time is it . . ?" She mumbled, picking up her digital alarm clock and dazedly staring at the bright green numbers. Seven thirty. Classes started in a half-hour and she was too tired to even go downstairs and get breakfast.  
  
"I'm staying home today . . ." she whined, slumping down on a chair out on the balcony. She watched Jin and Holly joke around over breakfast in the girls' room and picked up her notebook from its spot under her chair. Pulling the mechanical pencil out of the binding, she started to sketch her two friends from her spot at her balcony.  
  
There was a soft knock at her door, and Lyra grumbled as she put down her pencil and sketch book to answer the door. Kuwabara was standing by the doorframe, balancing a tray with her breakfast on it. Graciously, Lyra mumbled a "Good morning" and took the tray from his hands. Before she could close her door, Kuwabara tried to strike up a conversation. "So, are you going to class today?" he asked. Lyra shook her head. "No, There's no way I could stay awake in class. But, maybe could you pick up my homework ad test results from my teachers? And Lark and Holly's too? I don't want to fall behind a day."  
  
"Uh, sure. Wait, they have the tests graded already?"  
  
"Uh-huh. The teachers pull all-nighters correcting the tests during the tournament weekend." Kuwabara nodded, and called over to Jin, who was leaving Holly's room with the empty tray. "Hey! Jin, class starts in thirty minutes. We better get going." The shinobi did a double-take at the clock and ran downstairs to get ready, cursing all the way down to his basement bedroom. Lyra bowed her head to Kuwabara and nudged the door shut a little with her foot. "Have a nice day!"  
  
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KKC: *in headlock* No, I'm not telling!  
  
Yusuke: Out with it, KKC! What was more important than typing your fic?!  
  
KKC: *turning red* Okay! I'll tell you! Just go a little easier on the wind- pipe, eh?  
  
Yusuke: *releases headlock* now tell all your readers what you did during the weekend.  
  
KKC: *mumbles* wenttoaconcert . . .  
  
Yusuke: Louder!  
  
KKC: *glares* I went to a concert! Are you goddamn happy now?!  
  
Yusuke: A concert? You would rather go to a concert than write about me?  
  
KKC: Normally, no, I wouldn't waste an opportunity to type. But . . .  
  
Yusuke: But . . ?  
  
KKC: It was Mixfest! They had Train and the Barenaked Ladies playing! How could I not go?!  
  
Yusuke: Watch it on on-demand?  
  
KKC: *smirking* They also had Duran Duran.  
  
Yusuke: 0__0 Duran Duran? In concert? After twnty years they've gotten back together?  
  
KKC: Yep! And they're releasing a new CD soon!  
  
Yusuke: -_-* I hate you . . . *whining* I wanted to go see Duran Duran . . .  
  
KKC: I know. But, who cares? I got to see the Barenaked Ladies! Whoo-hoo! By the way, please review. It lets me know that people would rather read my fics than sit around and go to concerts.  
  
Yusuke: Stop rubbing it in!  
  
KKC: ^ ^;; see ya! 


	16. How to really spend your sick day and th

Disclaimer: heh heh . . . I don't care dude. Wherever the wind blows me is okay . . . Schweet. Heh, if I claimed I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, I'd be brought into court. Wait a minute? Court?! I'll probably need a lawyer . . . do I have to pay for one? How much does it cost to hire a lawyer?! Damn . . . those pills wear off fast . . .  
  
Quote of the week: "Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together." -random bumper sticker  
  
KKC: Well, let's try to keep this chapter short and sweet, eh?  
  
Grimoire: Good. I think the word count on your last chapter was around 3,362.  
  
KKC: Done moping and complaining? It's about time.  
  
Grimoire: Tut tut, get to work girl. Fictions don't write themselves, you know.  
  
KKC: . . . I think I liked it better when you were silent . . . -_-*  
  
Grimoire: Get going! Type! Let the words flow, goddammit!  
  
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Lyra watched the boys run off to their classes and went downstairs to read, leaving her breakfast tray on her desk. She would wait until her sister woke up before using her laptop to search for the dragon's den, at least, that was what Salvatore had translated to her. Kurama hopped up beside her and read the book over her shoulder, keeping an ear open for the other two girls. Finally, Holly came down, dressed in Khaki cargo pants and a white long-sleeved shirt. Her shoulder-length red hair was tied up in a loose ponytail and she carried her broom over her shoulder.  
  
"Morning! Hi, Kurama, Lyra!" Holly propped her broom by the doorframe and leaned over the back of the armchair. "What 'cha reading?"  
  
"Edgar Allen Poe. How's Lark?" Lyra marked her page and placed the book onto the end table. The witch innocently replied, "Still asleep, I guess."  
  
"And I really needed to use her laptop too." The older sister sighed, getting up from her comfy seat. "Looks like I'll have to go wake her up, then."  
  
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"I trust you all had a nice weekend during the tournament." Ryo was answered by various groans and monosyllable phrases from his class. "I see . . . Yusuke, how are the girls doing? Yusuke?" The boy was passed out at his desk, Justin St. Pierre sitting across from him and doodling on a corner of Yusuke's homework. The elfish teacher sweatdropped, but continued on with his class, but not before giving the other students a quiet warning. "Alright, stay as quiet as you can and don't wake the boy up. I'll deal with him at the end of the period when we go to lunch. Now, I'm gonna pass your test results back . . ."  
  
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"You found it?!" Lyra anxiously leaned on her sister's shoulder as Lark groggily sat in front of her laptop. Lark lethargically nodded and pointed to a list of probable subjects, varying in location from Hawaii to Makai. Holly and Lyra sweatdropped at the long list and Holly tapped her friend on the shoulder. "Um, maybe could you narrow it down a bit? You know, with closer locations and definite proof?"  
  
"You just want to have your cake and eat it too, don't you, Holly?"  
  
"Well I think it's a perfectly reasonable request. We want to get back before Christmas vacation, which ends on January second. A week and a half, Lark. We don't have the time to travel to all these places."  
  
"Can we still visit Hawaii, though?" Lark pouted and looked to her disbelieving friends for help. Kurama rolled his green eyes and sighed in exasperation. This was research? 'we should have just have gone to the library . . .' he thought. Lyra seemed to sense the fox's annoyance and moved her sister from in front of the computer. "Let me see . . . Here's one! It's just past Misery Island and a few leagues away from Galeri bay."  
  
She tapped on a few more keys, bringing up a map of the barrier worlds, and zoomed in on the coordinates. Holly tapped her finger on the screen where the den was rumored to be. "But the map shows nothing there. It's just water. See?"  
  
"Exactly. If you're trying to hide something, why put it on a map?"  
  
"Then why did they put the coordinates on the internet?" Lyra shrugged, signaling her clueless-ness. "Don't ask me! I prefer using books and primary sources compared to the Internet." Lark sipped her glass of orange juice and stared at her sister.  
  
"Of course you would. You're so old-fashioned . . ."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"No offence, but some might just say that you have an 'old soul', Lyra."  
  
"Lark, you've gotta be kidding me."  
  
"How many people listen to Andrew Loyd Webber when they're doing their homework?" Lyra sheepishly shrugged and answered, "Not many . . ?"  
  
"Exactly." Lark snagged her computer back and pulled a cord out from her bag. She plugged it into one of the laptop's ports, then got up and hooked the other end to the printer. "Holly, can you print the coordinates up for me? I'm gonna go get dressed."  
  
"Sure. Oh, I have an idea! We should be able to find an old mythology book or something in town." Lark pulled a pair of jeans and a royal blue sweater from her closet, and then turned to the wind witch. "So . . ?"  
  
"It would be helpful if we brought a map with us that shows where the den itself is." Kurama nodded in agreement to Lyra's conclusion and leaped down from Lark's bed. 'Well, at least they had found a location . . .' he thought.  
  
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"Yusuke . . . oh, Yusuke." Ryo's voice softly pulled Yusuke from his unconscious state. "YUSUKE!!" Yusuke snapped to attention, almost falling out of his chair (he seems to do that often.). The first thing he noticed was that the lights in the tower classroom were out and his noisy classmates were missing. "What the?"  
  
"You're late for class, Yusuke." Yusuke looked around for the location of his teacher's voice. Ryo was communicating with Yusuke through a speakerphone on the teacher's cluttered desk. "SHIT!" The teen shoved his notebooks and pens in his bag, snagging the results paper and looking it over while he ran out of the empty classroom, praying that his mechanics teacher would be sick or missing.  
  
"That was a pretty bad trick Ryo played on Yusuke." Justin said, dropping some ketchup from his burger onto his jeans. Chrysanthemum grimaced at her friend's horrible table manners and held out a napkin. "Did it ever occur to you to use a napkin? Here, take two, they're small." Justin thanked her and wiped the red blob off of his clothes. Lyonell and Jin walked over to the picnic table, both bringing their lunch. The cat demon sat down next to his twin and started unwrapping his tuna salad sandwich. "How much are you willing to bet Yusuke won't fall asleep anytime soon, though?" Justin got out his wallet and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. "Here." He tossed the bill onto the table and looked at Jin and Lyonell, waiting for them to place their own bets. Jin pulled a small gem out of his pocket and flipped it onto the table; Lyonell dug deep into his own wallet and finally pulled out a few silver coins. Chrysanthemum rolled her eyes skyward and got up from between Jin and her brother. "Boys . . ."  
  
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Holly hovered above her friends on her broom. Lyra and Kurama were already ready to go and Lark soon ran out the door, hastily tossing her hairbrush onto the couch behind her. "What're we waiting for? We can catch the trolley if we hurry." Lyra nodded, and made sure that Kurama was securely in her bag before running after her sister and Holly. The witch slowed down her broom enough so the sisters could catch up and looked back. "What's taking you guys so long? I can already see it pulling up to the station now."  
  
"Not everyone can fly, Holly. Maybe could you give us a lift?" Holly dropped down to their level and shrugged. "I don't think this old broom can handle it- Hey! What are you doing?" Lark and Lyra hopped onto the slender broomstick and Lark pointed ahead towards the main campus, where the trolley was slowing down to a stop. "Tally-ho! Off into the wild blue yoooonnndeeerrr!"  
  
"NO SINGING!" Kyuro leaned over Holly's shoulder and hissed at Lark. The water manipulator scooted a little farther down the broomstick to get away from the angry familiar. "Ho-kay then! No singing, gotcha!" Lark flipped him a peace sign and innocently smiled.  
  
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Rogerik hurriedly ran through the dark mansion. His footsteps echoed on the cold stone floor as he took a left. Screeching to a halt, he surveyed the corridor in front of him. A faint humming sound resonated throughout the hall, and the tiny glimmer of a metal surface gave away the location of the security cameras. Rogerik slinked near the walls and kept in the shadows towards the brightly lit safe room up ahead. Using his PK, he flicked out the lights and scurried to the giant lock. Carefully stroking it, he concentrated and the bolts slid into place with a couple faint clicks. Sighing in relief, he swung open the door, only to set off the klaxon alarms.  
  
"Nice try, but you ran out of time." The lights flared and the alarm stopped. Rogerik shielded his eyes from the bright lights with his hand until they slowly adjusted. His teacher, Oikawa, slowly walked out from behind a suit of armor and pointed to a tiny mechanical device Rogerik hadn't noticed in the dark environment. "This little toy threw it all off. It's a Spirit energy sensor. They're becoming quite popular among the higher class as of late, even humans." The blond leaned down and closely observed the tiny machine, painted black so as to hide it from most intruders.  
  
"I see . . ." he murmured. Oikawa sighed and replied, "No you didn't. It was tracking your movements the entire time you were here. You have to take these out as soon as you spot them, or it'll make the job nearly impossible." Rogerik started chuckling under his breath, and his fairly young teacher turned to him. "What's so funny?"  
  
"This is a school founded by Lord Koenma, and I'm taking lessons on how to be a master thief. The real funny part is, that it's perfectly legal for it to be my major."  
  
"Yes, it is slightly ironic . . . however, if you do go into business as a thief for hire, it'll most likely for Koenma himself." Oikawa said, while walking back to his office in the building's west wing. Rogerik mused over Oikawa's words a little longer, then followed his teacher out of the training hall.  
  
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Djornn pulled the red-hot bar of steel out of the fire Hiei was stoking and started to hammer it, twisting it into another curled section of a rapier handle. The two worked in complete silence, as the centaur had given up on talking with his student quite a while ago. Finally, he welded the spiraling sections together and attached it to the fine blade with a stream of liquefying fire. "Who's this sword for, anyways?" The soot-gray centaur jumped a bit, turning his black eyes to the normally quiet Hiei.  
  
"An inventor named Suzuki. He's planning on infusing charms and abilities into the blade."  
  
"Suzuki? I think I met that fool at the Dark Tournament."  
  
"He's no fool. If anything, that demon is a genius." Hiei gave his teacher a three-eyed, disbelieving glare. "Genius? He came dressed as a clown, for crissake." Djornn put the finished handle into a bucket of water to cool down. "Either way, I'm surprised he offered to teach here during the second semester." The short demon sweatdropped, obviously too stunned to say anything, and continued to stoke the raging fire. Suzuki a teacher? Now that was a laugh.  
  
"Suzuki, a teacher?! Now that's a laugh!" Yusuke snickered at what Hiei had just told him, and steadied himself against the brick wall of the main offices. "That's what the centaur said." The demon sullenly replied.  
  
"Maybe he's desperate for money." Kuwabara stated. Jin and Yusuke just stared at him and shared glances, coming to the same conclusion. " He still wouldn't get a job as a teacher even then." Yusuke said, Jin nodding in agreement to his friend's words. "Tha's true. Suzuki can't stand not being paid attention to, we all know that." Rogerik ran up between the four, trying to catch his breath. Cautiously, he looked back over his shoulder and tried to hide behind Jin and Yusuke. "Dude, hide me. They freakin' scare me!"  
  
Kuwabara looked off into the distance, shading his eyes from the bright sun. "Who?" he asked. Rogerik poked his head out from behind Jin and snapped, "Three guesses, first two don't count. Who else has been harassing me for the ten years I've been at this school?"  
  
"Erm . . . Oh, its those losers that beat you up at the tournament."  
  
"Yeah, genius! They've been trying to get at me ever since you guys kicked their asses in the ring! Speaking of which, maybe could you do me a little favor and-" Rogerik hopefully smiled and tried to look as innocent as possible. Hiei drew his katana and stepped forwards. "Well, I have nothing better to do, anyways. You idiots go on ahead to class, I'll deal with them." Rogerik humbly bowed his head to Hiei and hurried after the rest of the guys to his class. "Thank you! Remind me to do your chores when I get back home. Wait a minute . . .what am I saying? See ya!"  
  
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The trolley slowed down to a stop in the middle of the Western downtown plaza, and the three girls hopped off the brightly colored vehicle with relative ease. Lyra stumbled, but soon regained her balance and turned to her friends. "So, where to?"  
  
"Erm, we can try Border's, but I doubt we'll find anything there; its too modern. I suggest that we go to Alexa's." Holly said, surveying the long, crowded downtown area. Lark, energetic as always, was pacing and shifting her weight from foot to foot. "You know, we could always check out that really old and creepy bookstore. What was the name . . . aw crap, I forgot."  
  
Lyra lightly patted her younger sister on the head and pointed down the cobblestone street. "Don't worry, Lark. It'll come to you eventually. However, lets stop wasting time and go to Alexa's."  
  
Oceanview plaza was crowded, as usual. Young children ran and played games of tag on the giant marble fountain, splashing water at each other even in the chilly December air. Kurama and Kyuro ran ahead of the girls, dodging pushcarts, pedestrians, and bikes. Out of the view of most passerby, a small café was hidden between the larger stores, a variety of chairs and sofas visible from the stained glass windows. Holly whistled for the two animals, and they came running back; Kyuro leaping onto Holly's shoulder and Kurama into Lyra's arms. "Ah, good ol' Alexa's! The only coffee house and antique bookstore in all of barrier world!" The cat exclaimed, licking his lips. "It's been so long . . . Holly, I want a caramel expresse latte, extra cream, and two sugars!"  
  
"I'm sure you do, but we're here to look for a map or geography book." The witch answered. Kyuro pleadingly looked into her green eyes and adoringly asked, "Maybe if I help you find the right book can I get one?" Lark sighed, and tweaked the cat's ear as she opened the front door. "We'll see. Lyra, you're paying."  
  
"What?! Why me?"  
  
"I spent all the money dad sent me on upgrading my laptop. It has twenty gigabytes of space now!"  
  
"Oh, like you really needed the extra memory. You're fanfictions don't take up that much space." Lyra held the door open with her foot for Holly, who closed it behind her. Inside, the smell of old lather and gourmet coffee mingled, mixing into a homey aroma. The cashier, Alexa herself, was busy serving some hot chocolate to two other students at the academy, whom the girls recognized as Jay Gilbert and Shane Raby.  
  
"Hi Alexa! It's been awhile." Holly cheerfully waved to the young woman and hopped on a stool next to Shane. Both boys leaned away a little from Lark, who was maliciously smirking at them. Lyra poked her sister in the arm and whispered to her, Lark sighed, but tried to be nice to Jay and Shane. Hey! Jay, I'm surprised you recovered so quickly; that was a pretty bad blow." Jay nervously answered, "Er, yeah. My girlfriend is one of the medical assistants."  
  
"Oh, really? Who?" Lark hopped up on a red leather stool and crossed her legs, adjusting her pleated, short skirt. Jay scooted a little farther away from her, still not trusting Lark and her all-too-innocent smile. "Yumi Saratoshi." Lark brightly smiled, looking somewhat like she was on speed. "That's nice. Hm?" She looked back to Alexa, who was taking their orders. "Sorry, Alexa. I was just talking with Jay- that's funny . . ." she looked back over to the stool, still spinning around from when Jay had ran out of the shop in his attempt to get away from the younger girl. "He's gone. Must've left . . . Oh well. Anyways, I'll have a vanilla chai tea. Two equals, please." Alexa nodded, and turned to the array of coffee pots, grinders, and cappuccino machines. "It'll be right up, girls. Anything else?"  
  
"Oh, yes. We're looking for a map, somewhere between Misery Island and Galeri bay." Lyra said, longingly glancing over at the stuffed bookshelves. Kurama had pulled one out from the bottom shelf and was flipping through the yellowed pages with his delicate muzzle, speedily reading each intricately painted page before moving on. "Over to the far right is where I keep most maps. They should be in alphabetical order, too. That is, if my new employee remembered to fix the shelves after closing last night."  
  
Lyra kneeled down, glancing at the map book titles until she finally came across one that looked fairly promising. Pulling it out from the shelf, she scooped Kurama up and let him lay on her shoulder while she brought the old, leather cover portfolio to the bar. Lyra opened it, flipping through the ancient maps until she found one that showed the ocean currents between Misery Island and Galeri bay. "That's weird," Kyuro said, from his spot on the bar. "It doesn't show anything there, either." Lyra; however, pointed out a long arrow that curved above the uppermost part of the island. "See this? The current turns away and seems to follow an irregular path. But there's nothing that could possibly make it turn that way, unless-"  
  
"Oh, I get it! The island is there, but was never put on a map." Lark said, scooting the anxious Kurama out of the way so she could get a better look. "Here are your coffees, girls." Alexa placed the steaming mugs in front of Lyra, Holly, and Lark; then placed a saucer of cream and coffee in front of Kyuro. The cat pounced upon it and buried his head in the frothy cream, meowing a "Thanks", then coughed as the coffee burned the tip of his sensitive tongue. Lyra placed her mug to her lips and gently sipped the delicious drink, then noticed Kurama looking up at her with his bright, green eyes. Sighing, she poured some coffee into a saucer, poured in three creamers and mixed it before giving it to the tiny kit. Kurama's eyes flashed yellow, and he ran for the drink, but he stopped halfway and, tail tucked between his legs, timidly lapped it up.  
  
"If no one ever marked it, then what happened?" Holly asked. Lark just stared at the witch and sarcastically answered, "What do you think? The dragon toasted 'em. They became human shish-kebobs!" Lyra, Holly, and Kurama just stared, then shuddered at the thought of being roasted alive. "Er, lets move onto a nicer topic. Like, how are we supposed to get there?" Holly asked, helping Lyra clean up the mess of old maps.  
  
"Rent a boat and pray to the goddess that we aren't marauded by pirates, swallowed by giant sea-monsters, attacked by evil sea-monkeys-"  
  
"Wait a minute, are sea-monkeys evil?" Lyra asked her sister, wondering what the hell Alexa had put in Lark's coffee. No, wait, caffeine. Caffeine was Lark's poison. The younger sister grinned and gulped down another swig of the creamy, coffee goodness. "Not that I know of, but there's always a first, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but . . ." Holly said, grimacing at Lark's sudden caffeine rush.  
  
"Exactly! So, our mission is to restore Kurama to his rightful form and be the first people to discover the legendary evil sea-monkeys!"  
  
"Whatever floats your boat, Lark . . ." Lyra said, nonchalantly bringing the map over to the copying machine. She put it down on the flatbed scanner and pressed 'copy'. Holly stared at her friend with wide, scared eyes and muttered, "God, we're screwed." Lark finished her drink in one more gulp and wiped the cream from her lips. "Yeah! We ARE screwed, aren't we? But at least we'll be screwed together!"  
  
Both Kurama and Kyuro stared at the certifiably insane Admarant sister. The cat familiar blinked a few times in silence, then said, " . . . That . . . SO didn't sound right . . ."  
  
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Yusuke tossed his back pack onto the cold, stone floor and collapsed in his seat. Advanced algebra had been a horror; he didn't even know what the hell was going on in that class. Now he had history class. Whoopee, another hour- long period to sit and stare at the ceiling, and totally ignore whatever the dipshit teacher was talking about. Who cared about Demon boycotts or the Great War of 5094 BC? Rogerik and Justin were already half-asleep, and class hadn't even started yet. "Man, I wish I had stayed back and helped Hiei kick those guy's asses." He mumbled. Jin nodded in agreement, too bored to even talk in a complete sentence.  
  
The thick wooden door creaked open, but instead of the elderly, hideous looking, fish-headed Fomorian (a Fomorian is a hideous monster made of human and beast flesh. They originated in Ireland and I'm not making them up. Trust me on this, k?) history teacher, in walked a fairly young man, apparently in his late twenties. Both Yusuke and Jin choked when they noticed the familiar spiky, blond hair and smug smile. On the substitute's shoulder was a small bird-like demon, glowering at the entire class, especially at the two dark-tournament participants.  
  
"Well, I see we're all surprised. I know that you were told I wouldn't start teaching until after winter vacation, But your previous teacher, er . . . had his head eaten off by his wife when he refused to do the dishes. Strange creatures, Fomorians are. Yusuke, Jin, its been awhile." Both students grimly nodded, none too pleased with their current substitute. Suzuki cleared his throat and addressed the class. "So, I've been hired as both your history teacher and mechanics teacher. It doesn't really bother me, as I get paid twice as much."  
  
The bird-demon, obviously Shishiwakamaru in his true form, squawked and scurried down from Suzuki's shoulder. He hopped onto the leather-cushioned perch and contined glaring at the class. The inventor faked a smile and whapped Shishi lightly across the beak, switching on the overhead projector with his other hand. "Well, here are the rules for my class. Number one, no skipping. If you feel tempted to skip history, and I know many of you are," Suzuki shot a meaningful glance at Yusuke, who innocently shrugged. "I have a lovely collection of thumbscrews. I'm not afraid to use them, either."  
  
Most of the students recoiled at the threat, but Justin St.Pierre, obviously in a bad mood, mumbled "Blow it out of your rear, Jack-ass." Suzuki growled something and pulled a cord that lowered from the ceiling, sending Justin falling into a steep pit full of water. The students all stared at the trap-door in the linoleum floor, and scooted their desks back as Justin started screaming obscenities at Suzuki, who pleasantly smiled. "And the second rule is no bad-mouthing the teacher. Now, onto rule three . . ."  
  
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KKC: Well, as an apology for taking so long last week, I'm going to do two chapters this week. Look for the next chappie by Sunday!  
  
Touya: Hey, how come I'm not in yet?  
  
KKC: All in due time, my dear shinobi friend. Anyways, don't you think Suzuki id=s a scary teacher.  
  
Touya: He borders "Scary-beyond-all-reason" and just plain insane.  
  
KKC: I know! ^-^ That's why I put him in as a teacher. Oh, and to all my readers, if you like my fic then review. It only takes a minute and inspires me to write more. So, if you ever want to leave me a message or give some hints to make the story better, just click the little purple button below this text. Buh-bye! 


	17. Test scores are in and planning the trip

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters, but everything else is pretty much mine, including the plot, jokes, original characters (duh), and stupid quotes.  
  
Quote of the week: "Let's not clean, stuff everything in a closet, and say we did." -Kawaii Kitsune Cub  
  
KKC: I'm baaack! Didn't I tell you I'd update twice this week?  
  
Yusuke: Yeah, you did. By the way, nice quote.  
  
KKC: Yep. Fits my lifestyle. Seriously, why does my mom care whether or not my room is cleaned exactly to her liking if she never spends any time in there?  
  
Yusuke: Good point. Now start typing. I wanna get out of Suzuki's class as soon as possible.  
  
KKC: Don't blame you there. Now, onto chapter seventeen!  
  
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"You spent your entire sick day shopping?!" Yusuke screeched, gaping at the enormous pile of bags on the dining room floor. Lark moodily looked up at her roommate from her computer screen. "We didn't shop the entire day. We did get a map, however; and found a dragon's den nearby."  
  
"If you didn't shop the entire day, then what's all this junk?" Jin asked, looking in one of the numerous plastic shopping bags. Lark tore it out of his grasp and hastily picked a few others off the rug. "The bags over there have maps and camping equipment, and Lyra checked out some books from the school library. Oh, and the rest is from Christmas shopping, so don't look or I'll sic Kyuro on you, once he wakes up from his nap." The three students let their gaze wander over to the happily snoring familiar, sprawled out on the dining room table.  
  
Kuwabara plopped his bag on the table and started to dig into it, finally pulling out three envelopes. Flipping through them, he singled one out and tossed it to the raven-haired girl. "Here, your midterm scores."  
  
"Ooh, yay! What'd I get?" Lark ripped open the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper. "I passed English and Language Arts no problem, and my photography class. I got a ninety in Offensive tactics, an eighty-seven in Latin, a ninety-six in biology and environmental sciences," Lark read the last two grades and groaned. "And I barely got by Algebra and History by the skin of my teeth. Damn . . ." Yusuke peered over her shoulder and compared his grades to Lark's. "Hey, I actually got a higher score than you. Offensive tactics and Illusionary skills."  
  
"Gee, that's nice. Hey, Lyra! Holly! Test results are in!" Lark impatiently tapped her foot, but neither of her friends replied. "What is taking them so long?" Kuwabara asked. Jin strained one ear, and replied, "I think Lyra put her stereo up full blast again."  
  
"Full blast? How loud can that thing get?" Yusuke muttered. Suddenly, the house shook with the sound waves that erupted from Lyra's room as she quickly shut the door behind her. "What is it? Hey, my test scores! Thanks, Kuwabara." Lyra neatly opened hers and looked it over. "Well, everything's pretty much okay except for Botany, I totally flunked in that."  
  
"But those traps you set two months ago . . !"  
  
"Yeah, I know, Rogerik. You know that giant skull and cross-bones sign above the seed bins? It's the only way I can tell if they're lethal." Rogerik managed to get a quick look at Lyra's scores before she neatly folded the paper in half and tucked it into her pants pocket. Although most of her scores were in the nineties, her Botany grade was around a fifty- two. 'Well, I guess no one's perfect' he silently mused, before a knock from the door was heard.  
  
Jin got to the door first, and opened it to reveal Suzuka, their new history/mechanics teacher. The blond inventor smiled and stepped inside, muttering a quick "Good evening" and hanging his jacket on the coat rack by the door. Lark saved her latest chapter and put her computer into sleep mode, then turned to the new teacher. "Oh, you're Suzuka, aren't you? New teacher, huh?"  
  
"Er, yes, I am." Suzuka smiled, not expecting anything of the seemingly polite young student. Yusuke smirked; boy, was he in for a surprise.  
  
"You know, I don't like it when others threaten my friends with thumbscrews, or dump them into a sixteen foot deep pit of water, jackass." The blond jerked back in surprise, but quickly covered it up. This, before him, was a strange child, obviously able to lie with a smile and not feel a bit of remorse about it. "Really? Well then, aren't you the little compatriot? Do you hack into the school system and change their grades, too?"  
  
"Only when a fool decides to judge them unfairly." Lark muttered, her blue eyes dangerously glinting. "Er. . . I think we should leave those two alone." Kuwabara muttered, and Lyra nodded her head. "It would be a good idea. Lark is queen when it comes to verbal abuse." The roommates all quietly snuck out of the dining room, which was reverberating with the sheer amount of energy leaking out from the two actors.  
  
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Yusuke put his ear to the living room wall, trying to hear Lark and Suzuka's argument from the dining room. Kurama, Lyra, and Hiei were bent over the map print-out, marking out the distance they would need to travel, Jin floating over them with his eyes half-closed in a stupor. Kuwabara was upstairs in his room, finishing up some homework with Rogerik and Holly. Kyuro walked up to Yusuke and hopped up onto the boy's shoulder. "Anything going on yet?" He inquired.  
  
Yusuke shook his head and strained his ears to hear the shushed voices. Whatever was going on in there, it was way too quiet. "Nothing I can pick up. You're a cat, you go spy on them."  
  
"That's right, I'm a cat. And as such, I'm excused from following orders or granting requests." Kyuro smugly smirked at Yusuke and ran over to check on Lyra and co. Deciding the map would make a better bed then the armchair or couch, he sprawled out on the photo copied three by three map and started to clean his silky black fur. Hiei scowled and picked up the familiar by the scruff of the neck, then tossed Kyuro over to Holly, who was coming down the stairs. The cat hissed and rushed right back at Hiei, latching his little claws onto the demon's leg.  
  
"Um . . . Hiei, do you want some help?" Lyra warily asked, watching her shorter roommate do battle with the pissed off cat. "No! I don't need any goddamn help! Frickin' cat, get the hell off!"  
  
"And what are you going to do, oh vertically challenged one?" Kyuro challenged.  
  
Hiei's arm was enveloped in flames for about half a second before Kyuro let go and ran to Holly, back arched and fur bristling. Holly sighed and rolled her eyes, then said to Hiei, "Hiei, put your arm out. We don't need our dorm burnt to ashes." The fire demon incoherently grumbled something and did so, then turned back to the map that Lyra and Kurama were plotting out their course on.  
  
Lyra marked the map in blue sharpie, pointing out the current and explaining it to Jin while she did so. "So, you see how this current follows this curve here, then goes in a straight line due East? It branches off and hooks around to the west after going north for about ten miles. The currents seem to follow some type of landmass, but there's nothing there on the map." She pointed to the blank space on the coordinate grid, waiting until Jin nodded as a signal to move on. "Right, well, there was in internet link about a dragon's den rumored to be on an island in this region. Lark, Holly, and I think-"  
  
"That the den is on an island out by these coordinates, I get it. When are we leaving?"  
  
"Er . . . leaving? Well, um . . . I don't know? Heh heh . . ." Lyra shrugged, innocently smiling. "Well, Christmas vacation starts this Wednesday, two days from now. I think that if we pack up and manage to rent a boat or something we can make it to the island by Saturday."  
  
"I could always fly us there, ya know. No bother wasting any money." Jin muttered, once again levitating in the air to prove his point. "Uh, no offense, but are you sure it would be okay?" Lyra asked, remembering when Holly tried to fly without her broom way back when the witch was eight. It had been a bona-fide disaster. Kurama shuddered, probably thinking about the same freak accidents that could occur as Lyra was, and looked to Hiei for an opinion. Hiei merely "Hn"-ed and turned his back, then went upstairs for the night. Jin cheerily smiled. "It wouldn't be tha' hard. Just bring up a lil' breeze and you're gone!"  
  
"Exactly what I was worried about." Lyra muttered, then cringed at Jin's glare.  
  
"What, you don't trust me?"  
  
"Oh, its not you, Jin. It's just that some of us-" She jerked her head to Kurama, who was snuggled up in her arms at the moment. "-get a little airsick. Poor Kurama almost lost it when Holly was flying us back here yesterday." Jin nodded, understanding the fox's predicament perfectly. "Yeah, it takes a while to get used to. Okay, so if we rent a boat from someone and manage to find this treasure, when do you suppose we'll make it back by?"  
  
"I was hoping by Christmas, at least. I mean, if we leave on the seventeenth we have eight days to get there, find what we're looking for, and get out."  
  
"I still think it's a bit, er . . . vague."  
  
"You don't think we can do this, huh?"  
  
"Nope. No way in hell." Jin said, shaking his head.  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
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KKC: Hah! I barely made it! With an hour and a half to spare!  
  
Yusuke: Go on, celebrate while you still can. You still have to type chapter eighteen by next Sunday and work on your "Halloween Special" thingamajig.  
  
KKC: Oh! The Halloween special! ^-^ I totally forgot about that thing!  
  
Yusuke: -_-* Scatter-brained idiot that you are . . .  
  
KKC: Oh, shut it! By the way, happy birthday to Sean, my brother. Sorry I didn't get to stay later for your party today, dude.  
  
Yusuke: Birthday party? Hey, did you bring back any cake? Huh? Huh?!  
  
KKC: *sighs* Please review! I'm trying to get twenty reviews by chapter 19, so just get it over with and press the little purple button below. Come on . . . I know you want to . . . 


	18. Oh, NOW it snows

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do own . . . um, I own . . . crap . . . What do I own? Can someone help me here?  
  
KKC: Last chapter sucked . . . Guess that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to get it done. Anyways, thank you to all my reviewers (all one of 'em!).  
  
Grimoire: You know, I wonder why people don't review. They put your story on their favorites list and never review to tell you how you're doing!  
  
KKC: Too true. Well, BladeDream, I'll be glad to put you in my fic, I'll try to fit you in by chapter twenty-one(chapters 19 and 20 are going to cover the actual journey to the dragon's den). Oh, and if any of you want to be in as a minor or side character just tell me the name, age, appearance, what they usually wear, personality, and any special skills or attacks they might have. I can put you in as students or maybe even a teacher.  
  
*cue collective gasp from readers*  
  
Grimoire: Are you sure it's a good idea? What about torturing the characters and Mary-Sues and self-inserts and-  
  
KKC: Can it, Grimmy. I'm trying to get some reviews and characters for the rest of the school year. *coughs* So, if you want in, send the info by review or e-mail message. And please try to be original. I don't want a million beautiful, female, fox or cat-demons that can control fire. Cumulus academy is a school for all races, so lets try and mix up the students a bit, hm? It's even better if you give your character a weird trait or personality flaw.  
  
Grimoire: Yes, like how you can't stand getting wet, KKC.  
  
KKC: How is that weird?  
  
Grimoire: All the tests you take on Quizilla end up with you being more like the water element than anything else.  
  
KKC: Than I'm a dry water elemental-type person . . . yeah. And now, let's quit the senseless drivel and go onto chapter eighteen!  
  
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"Justin, Suzuka is not out to get you."  
  
"I swear he is! How many times did he send me falling into a pit of water last period?! I counted, five times! Five!"  
  
"Just because he takes pleasure in scaring the living daylights out of you doesn't mean he has a grudge against 'ya." Yusuke explained, not really believing himself. Justin shrugged off his friend and muttered something under his breath, walking ahead as he did so. Chrysanthemum sighed and followed her roommate, finally grabbing onto his sleeve and halting him. "Justin, wait. Suzuka isn't a bad teacher or anything, he's just . . . different. Give it a while, hm?"  
  
"Like Hell I will! If that asshole tries to dunk me one more time, I'm gonna blow his classroom!"  
  
"You are NOT, do you hear me, not going to set off fireworks in the teacher's lounge again." She said, reinforcing her grip on the human's collar, her pupils detracting to thin slits. Justin shoved her off and stormed towards his algebra class. Yusuke could just barely pick up a shushed "Whatever." As his friend made his PO'd way to class. "Oi, ain't he the moody one?"  
  
Yusuke jumped as the wind master floated next to him, sitting Indian-style. "Er, yeah, he is."  
  
"Don't blame him. Do you know Suzuka dumped him five times last class?"  
  
"He told me, but I didn't count." Yusuke said, shouldering his stuffed backpack and walking down the brick pathway to Ryo's tower classroom.  
  
Yusuke opened the door and immediately shivered. The stone tower was drafty and cold, almost to the point of freezing. Lyonell walked in right behind the Japanese human and his tawny gold fur bristled. "Man, this ain't right. Let's leave, now." Rogerik rolled his eyes and pushed his friends out of the way. "Nothing's wrong, see?" The blonde flipped the light switch, triggering the booby trap of all booby traps.  
  
Water poured from every crevice in the stone and mortar room, pooling around the student's feet. Lyonell tried to run back out, but the stairs slanted into a steep slope and the thick wooden door slammed shut, trapping the boys inside. Metal bars slid down over the windows, on the inside and outside; the doors to the large bat hutch flew open and the twenty or so giant bats flew out, circling around the room and screeching at the top of their lungs. Stacks of paper and various pieces office equipment flew around the room, directed mostly at Yusuke, Rogerik, and Lyonell's heads. The three boys flipped over two desks and ducked behind them, watching as the large Kelpie skeleton, one of the many skeletons Ryo had hung from the ceiling, broke free of its metal hangings and started to gallop in the air around the trashed classroom.  
  
"Well, was I right or was I right?"  
  
"Okay, you were right!"  
  
"I tell you it's a bad idea, but you're all 'Oh no, he can't be right. Why trust Lyonell-"  
  
"OKAY! YOU WERE RIGHT! HAPPY NOW?!" Rogerik yelled, and Lyonell gave him a genuine chesire-cat grin. "Very." He replied. Needless to say, Yusuke and Rogerik face faulted. Yusuke quickly recovered and peered over the top of the overturned desk. "Man, we are so dead when Ryo finds out about this." Rogerik looked over at the giant, soaking wet mess and ducked down for a second to avoid the skeleton kelpie's bleached hooves. "Ryo will kill us? I think its more likely that we're either going to drown or get a letter opener through the head. DUCK!"  
  
"Huh?" Rogerik grabbed Yusuke's collar and dived down, just as another of Ryo's skeleton models, this one was a large water fowl of some kind, flew over their heads, flapping it's long, fragile wind bones in the nonexistent breeze. Lyonell pointed to the skeleton as it flew by. "I think it's a swan." He said.  
  
"Wha? That doesn't matter! What matters is what's gonna happen to us! We're trapped in a classroom full of water up to our knees in the middle of December with a bunch of killer staplers after us!"  
  
"Killer staplers?" Rogerik asked Yusuke. The Japanese student sighed and replied, "It was an exaggeration, okay?"  
  
"Oh, but I rather like the idea . . ." A feminine voice from the shadowy corners of the room said, right before a battalion of staplers flew out from the cabinets and started to shoot staples at the three boys. "Who the hell is that?!" Yusuke yelled, earning himself a glare from Lyonell. "You know," the cat demon muttered, "Not everyone is nearly as deaf as you." Rogerik was about to tell them both to shut up when a chilly presence made itself known behind the three boys. Slowly, shivering from the intense cold, Lyonell, Yusuke, and Rogerik turned to confront the mischievous being.  
  
"W-w-what's the big idea?" Lyonell angrily asked, well, as angrily as a soaking wet and chilly cat could seem. "What idea? I was bored, and decided to visit my old school."  
  
"Your old school?"  
  
"Yep! I'm Felicia! I've been sleeping for over two hundred years and . . ."  
  
"Whoa! Wait a minute! Sleeping? For two hundred years?! The hell are you?" Yusuke yelled, Lyonell glaring at him yet again. "Quiet, Yusuke, or I'll rip your voice box out."  
  
"It's a sad story, really. Y'see, at school I never stopped talking-"  
  
"We know that already. Get to the point."  
  
"Hmph! Who taught you your manners, cat? In my day we would be put in the stocks for such rude language!"  
  
"Whatever. Who awakened you?" Rogerik testily asked, peeved at the spirit's tendency to float within his own personal bubble of space. Felicia started to fade out of view, muttering something under her breath (wait, she's a ghost. How do ghosts mutter under their breath?). "Hey, Felicia! Don't even think about leaving! If Ryo finds his room in a mess we're-"  
  
"Oh, you're in Ryo's class?" The sixteen-year-old girl instantly pooped back into view, hearts in her eyes and little doves singing love tunes flying around her head. Yusuke sweatdropped at the ghost's little display of affection and asked, "You know him?"  
  
"Know him? I had the biggest crush on him! Ooh! Does he remember me? Huh?! Does he? Does he?!" Felicia squealed, clasping her hands and floating eagerly in front of Yusuke.  
  
"Never mentioned you."  
  
"Figures . . ." she dejectedly mumbled, softly falling to the flooded floor, which was now up almost half-way to the boys' waists. The kelpie skeleton once again galloped their way and the boys ducked as the hooves furiously pounded the air, and it ran right through Felicia, still gloomy. "Ryo never like me . . . Always running away and hanging out with Rumiko Fujiwara . . ." Meanwhile, while Lyonell and Yusuke listened to the ghost's sob story, Rogerik was busy using his PK to open the lock on the thick wooden door. With a satisfying click, it swung open and Rogerik motioned over to his friends. Leaving the forgotten spirit in Ryo's classroom, they cautiously slid down the steep tower slope and locked the front door behind them.  
  
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Ryo looked up from the book he was reading as the three students nervously opened the door and filed in, the three boys were soaked to the bone and shivering from the chilly December air. "Well, didn't you get the notice I sent over the loudspeaker?" the elfish demon asked. The rest of Yusuke, Lyonell, and Rogerik's class mates continued to work on their Latin papers, used to such interruptions by now. Yusuke gritted his teeth and tried to be polite. "No, sir. We went to the tower and got trapped in there-"  
  
"You went to the tower?" Ryo asked, cocking an eyebrow. Lyonell sighed and tried to explain. "Like Yusuke said, we didn't catch the announcement. By the time we stepped in the door, we were trapped."  
  
"I see . . ."  
  
"Yeah. Do you know you have a lovesick ghost haunting your class?" At Lyonell's words, a few heads looked up from their paperwork in curiosity. Ryo sighed and replied, "Yes, Lyonell, I do. Class is going to be held in this room until Michealangelo can set her to rest once again."  
  
"Oh . . . hey, she asked about you. Said you were her school crush or something . . ." Yusuke muttered the last part, but by now the entire class was interested. The elfin teacher blushed a tad and pointed to the boy's seats. "Get to work."  
  
"So, is it true-"  
  
"Now, Yusuke! Page one-twenty five! Go!"  
  
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Lark hastily shoved the sheet music in her bag and ran down the steps of Gregorian Hall, having just finished her violin classes. She smoothed out her pleated mini-skirt as she hurried down the linoleum hall, her boot heels clicking on the waxed floor. Coming over to the staircase, the water- manipulator waved to Holly and bounded down the steps, taking them as fast as she could in three-inch heels. "Hey, careful!" The witch called, just before Lark tripped, violin case and messenger bag flying as she stumbled. Desperate for any handhold, Lark grabbed at the nearest person in front of her, taking both of them for a tumble down the stairs.  
  
Holly watched in amusement as Lark grabbed onto the shoulder of a surprised Rogerik, making them both fall down the flight of heavily carpeted stairs. Much to the young girl's surprise, Lark found herself in a most uncomfortable position indeed, sprawled out on the floor, a stunned Rogerik landing on top of her with his head on her chest. "Would you GET OFF?!" She screeched. Rogerik merely blinked at the good fortune that had befallen him and replied, "Nah, too comfy." Of course, maybe he should have just have gotten up rather than get a block of violin rosin in the mouth for the earlier comment.  
  
Lark stormed away from the thrashed Rogerik, pissed as hell. Her black hair had fallen out of its loose bun and her blue eyes maliciously glinted. Picking up her bags, she mumbled, "You, ooh just you wait! I'm gonna leave you stranded on a deserted island."  
  
"Hopefully with the cast of Baywatch, right?" Rogerik politely asked, apparently haven gotten the rosin out of his mouth. Lark tried to say something, anything, but for once in her life she was speechless. Shooting her roommate a deathglare, of which she had learned from Hiei, Lark turned on her heel and stalked out of the building, Holly following behind her.  
  
"L-Lark! Wait! For crissakes, slow down goddammit!" Holly called, annoyed as her friend intentionally sped up. The witch just stood out in the middle of the brick pathway and gritted her teeth, then took out her broomstick and jumped on, flying up in the air about eight feet and followed the extremely angry water manipulator from above. "Laaaaark . . . come on, cheer up. Rogerik's like that all the time, or is something else bugging you?"  
  
"Something else? Something else?! Gee, now whatever gave you that idea . . !" Lark muttered, then glared up at the wind witch, who cringed as her friend's stormy eyes seemed to eat right through her. "Okay, stupid question-"  
  
"You ask stupid questions and I'll give you stupid answers."  
  
"Alright, you know what? If you don't want my help, then fine. Go mope in your own little personal, private corner in Hell. See if I care." Holly sniffed, then slowly flew her broom upwards, away from Lark. The witch silently counted to three in her head, then-  
  
"Okay, sorry . . ."  
  
"That's better. Now, what's bothering you?" Holly asked in a gentler tone of voice. Lark sighed, and motioned for Holly to move close enough for the black-haired girl to whisper in her ear. Holly nodded her head for a moment, and then her face blanched. "N-no way. No frickin' way! LARK!" The younger Admarant sister lowered her head, her face hidden behind the black hair that contrasted so sharply with her fair skin. "Yeah . . . it's true."  
  
"But HIM? What has gotten into you?!"  
  
"I have no clue. Guess I always . . . you know . . ."  
  
"It sickens me to no limit." Holly muttered, glad that Kyuro was back at the purple house they called home. Walking in silence for a few moments, Holly felt something cold brush her cheek and looked up at the overcast sky. Both girls paused, and watched as fluufy, white flakes swirled downward. "Just bea-uti-ful." Lark said, letting the snowflakes collect on her black leather jacket.  
  
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Yusuke stumbled down the stairs, burdened by the heavy backpack slung over his shoulder. "Figures it finally snows on the night we leave." He muttered. Kurama gave Yusuke a sympathetic look from his spot on Yusuke's shoulder and leaped down, running over to the dining room table. Lyra was already there, her two duffel bags on the polished wooden table, and talking to Rachel and Erika. "Oh, we'll be back by Christmas, don't worry." She cheerfully said. However, the worried look on Rachel's face told both students she wasn't buying it. "I don't know . . . Misery island? Sounds like a big trip without any teachers to chaperone you guys."  
  
"Rachel, please. Don't you trust us? And what about poor Kurama . . ?" Lyra held the fox in front of Rachel's face and Kurama whimpered for good measure. "Fine, you can go-" Lyra and Kurama immediately grinned, and Yusuke flipped them a thumbs-up, until Rachel continued. "-As long as you bring an older student or assistant teacher with you." All three students groaned in unison. "But why doesn't Hiei count? He's probably older than everyone in this room put together." Yusuke asked, just as the fire demon was coming down the stairs, carrying another load of bags. "Hiei is registered as a student, not an assistant teacher or staff member." Rachel corrected.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Erika bustled over to get it. Opening the door, she revealed Suzuka, wearing a navy blue winter jacket and black fleece scarf. Shishiwakamaru stood behind the inventor, in his human-like form, shivering in the twenty-degree weather. Suzuka bowed, and stepped inside, closing the door in Shishiwakamaru's face. "Hello again, I heard that you needed your furnace fixed-" The blonde demon was shoved out of the way as Lark, squealing, pushed him away from the door and opened it, then glomped the poor Shishiwakamaru. The samurai was too cold to argue, and instead raced for the open door. Once inside, he slammed it shut and went to work on prying Lark from his ankles.  
  
Kurama and Yusuke looked at the shivering samurai, looked at each other, then looked back at Shishi. "I know this is really stretching it, but . . ." Yusuke turned to Shishiwakamaru and casually asked, "Hey, you're a paid staff member, right?"  
  
"Yes . . . GET OFF OF ME!" Shishi yelled at Lark, who just smiled and replied, "You say the sweetest things, Shishi-kun." Yusuke sweat-dropped, but turned to Rachel and pointed at the blue-haired Bishounen. "He's our chaperone."  
  
"Wha-at! B-but me, go out in that infernal weather? And what do you need a chaperone for?" Shishi pointed out at the snow falling outside. Lyra shrugged and casually said, "We're going on a week-long cruise to a sub tropical region; nothing special." Before the surprised Suzuka could object to his assistant being stolen away, Shishi answered. "Alright, I'll go."  
  
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KKC: Well, since I'm updating earlier this week, I'll try to put up chapter 19 by Sunday.  
  
Grimoire: Yes, and about being included in this story . . .  
  
KKC: Getting there, Grimmy. I'm looking for a few ORIGINAL and UNIQUE characters for students and teachers. Right about now I need ideas for an Environmental studies teacher, an English teacher, and a PE teacher.  
  
Grimoire: And about pairings-  
  
KKC: -Getting to that! I don't really think I can pair your original character with a character from Yu Yu Hakusho, but there's always some original characters I created that are looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend. Like Lyonell, Justin St.Pierre, Chrysanthemum, and Shane Raby to name a few. Just let me know, and I'll try to work it out as best as I can.  
  
Grimoire: So, see you next-  
  
KKC: Ciao! *peace sign*  
  
Grimoire: -_-* Would you stop interrupting m-  
  
KKC: Grim, quiet! We'll see you next chappie! 


	19. Ramen Bicken flavor

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, therefore, I am not a multi- millionaire.  
  
Quote of the week: "Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies." -Haley  
  
KKC: . . . I really expected more reviews for chapter 18, but oh well. One review is better than nothing, even if the reviewer is totally lost when it comes to the plot. Heck, do I even have a plot?  
  
Grimoire: What did I tell you about those who read but never review?  
  
KKC: Its just common courtesy to review, though!  
  
Grimoire: Hmph! In MY day we never let our children become as rude as you guys are today! If they talked back to us, we'd beat them until they were black and blue! And then we'd-  
  
KKC: *sighs* Grim, quiet.  
  
Grimoire: *still going on about punishment way back (I mean WAY back) in his day* and then we'd feed them to the Nile Crocs, but before that the little brats would be doused in sheep's blood to make the crocs hungry...  
  
KKC: *waves* I'm starting the nineteenth chapter now. You can stop, Grim.  
  
Grimoire: And after the crocs, we'd make them walk to school in the snow, five miles each way, and uphill BOTH ways! Hah! That taught 'em!  
  
KKC: -_-* . . . ever get the feeling you're being ignored?  
  
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Shishiwakamaru stood outside on the dock, waiting with Rogerik and Yusuke, until the girls and Kurama paid for the boat. Finally, Kuwabara putted up in a tiny motorboat, barely big enough the fit nine human-sized companions, much less all their luggage, Bones, Kyuro, and the fox-kit Kurama. "W-we're traveling in that little dinghy?!" Yusuke asked through chattering teeth. Kazuma grinned and cut the motor, then tossed the rope to his skeleton dog, who caught it and looped the rope around one of the dock's posts. "Only part of the way," He replied, "Lyra, Lark, and Holly arranged for someone else to pick us up once we get out into the deeper water."  
  
"That's very reassuring, Kuwabara. And how much, exactly, are we paying for the transportation?" Shishiwakamaru asked. Kuwabara shrugged. "I dunno. I think that Lyra said it was pretty much free."  
  
"Well, you get what you pay for..." Rogerik muttered, eye twitching. Yusuke looked at the chilly December water, then the run-down little boat, then back at the dark ocean, white snowflakes sharply contrasting against the nearly black water. "Er... flying sounds like a pretty good idea right about now..."  
  
"Come on, Hiei. Cheer up! Its not that bad." Holly floated a little over the demon's head, her bag and Kyuro carefully balanced on her broomstick. Hiei gave her one of his patent death glares and "hn"-ed. Obviously, he wasn't too happy with the accommodations. Yusuke leaned over the side, hand trailing in the water. "How much farther do we need to go, Lyra?" The raven- haired girl blinked, then searched through her messenger bag for a map, which she unfolded and spread out in the boat, not caring if Shishiwakamaru or Rogerik rather didn't want to be used as a table. "Well, we're here," she said, tapping her finger on a square just a little off from the academy itself, then tapped a region less than a half-inch from their location. "- and we're being picked up here. I'd say... we're just about five minutes away."  
  
"'bout time, I hate boats." The Japanese teen mumbled, then pulled his quickly pulled his hand back in. "What the hell?! There's something under us!"  
  
"No way. There's nothing around for miles-" Kuwabara said, looking into the murky sea water from his position by the rudder. All of a sudden, the water buckled and the tiny boat lurched, flipping over and nearly dispersing its passengers and luggage into the sea. With a gust of wind, Jin suspended his companions and their bags in the air, then he floated down towards the wild waves to get a better view. "Jin! Turn off the motor!" Lark shouted, pointing to the boat, propellers wildly thrashing in the dark water. "Okay, okay! Got it..!" Jin flipped upside down and cut the engine, causing the propellers on the boat to screech to a halt.  
  
"Well, we're screwed." Hiei darkly muttered, glaring at the rubbery material that emerged above the surface of the water. Holly floated down closer on her broomstick to the strange piece of land, and was immediately sprayed in the face by a stream of salt water and mist. The witch and familiar both screeched and Holly wheeled her broom away, wiping her face as she did so, cursing and screaming obscenities. Lark fought her way down from her mid-air perch and ran over to a hole about the size of a baseball in the "ground", kneeling down as she did do. After a few seconds, she stood back up and grinned at her companions. "Its alright!" she yelled over to them, "It's just our ride to the den!"  
  
"Wha?" Jin lowered himself onto the strange surface, poking the rubbery, flesh-like floor underneath him. "What is it?"  
  
"It's a Sealord!" Lyra answered, a small giggle escaping her lips as she landed on the thing and bounced a few inches before settling down. Shishi glared at her. "A what?"  
  
"A Sealord! We managed to convince one to transport us!"  
  
" I know that! But what the hell is a Sealord?!"  
  
"Hm? You don't know what one is?"  
  
"I wouldn't be asking the question if I did, now, would I?" The samurai growled, arms crossed. Lyra sighed and answered, "Where did you grow up? Never mind. A Sealord is a giant whale, about three-hundred feet long." Lyra pointed about forty feet from where they were standing and explained, "That should be where the head is, I guess... so the fluke is... waaaay down there." Yusuke raised an eyebrow and sarcastically replied, "Well, that's specific..."  
  
"Enough out of you, Yusuke. If you want to talk, go apologize to the Sealord for cutting him with our boat motor."  
  
"But why me?!"  
  
"'Cause I said so. Go. March, soldier, march!" Lark pointed towards the head, which was submerged in water. Yusuke grumbled and grit his teeth, but stomped into the knee-deep water anyways.  
  
"Hey." He greeted, not really expecting an answer. The giant whale did reply though, in the form of a giant wave, which crashed over the boy and almost tore him off into the freezing ocean. Yusuke gripped onto the thick flesh and held on, trying not to look at the three huge eyes glowing from underneath the water. Jin floated down, surveying the scene with curiosity. "Want any help, Urameshi?" The demon asked, lending Yusuke a hand so he could clamber back up on the angry whale. "Sure..." Yusuke muttered, grabbing onto Jin's wrist, and then climbing back up. Glaring at the monstrous creature underneath him, Yusuke kicked the whale's giant back and yelled, "Stupid, ungrateful fish! Try anything and I'll shoot my spirit gun up your a-"  
  
"YUSUKE! STOP FOOLING AROUND WITH THE POOR CREATURE AND HELP STEADY THESE BAGS!" Holly shouted across the fifty or so feet that separated the group. "P-poor creature? Did you see what that fish did to me?!" He yelled back, walking over to the rest of his companions. "Um... it's a mammal." Kuwabara corrected. Yusuke incredulously looked at his friend, who was sitting down with Bones' head on his lap. "I don't care if it's a frickin' oversized otter. Taking a whale to a dragon's lair is still a stupid idea."  
  
"Stupid idea or not, its free; which is pretty much all we can afford." Lyra sighed, and unzipped one of her bags, puling out a few blankets. Next was a portable grill, which was unfolded and set up a few feet away. Lark dug into another large duffel bag and retrieved a small can of gas for the grill, a pot, and a few packages of instant Ramen noodles. "Dinner." She said, tossing the objects to Rogerik, who was tinkering with the grill. Kurama took one look at the grill and instant food, and sniffed, showing his obvious displeasure. "I can agree with you there, Kurama." Rogerik flinched as the gas grill flared to life, then filled up the pot with bottled spring water. "But at least its better than Holly's cooking..."  
  
"I heard that..." Holly hissed. Rogerik gulped and turned around to look at the severely pissed and murderous wind witch. "This is going to be a long trip..."  
  
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Day 1  
  
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It took Shishiwakamaru a few minutes to adjust to the blinding light. Groaning, he pulled off the thermal blanket he had been using, immediately shivering in the chilly temperature. Grumbling, he pulled the blanket around him like a cloak and blindly stumbled to the small gas grill they had used to cook last night. Instant Ramen noodle containers littered the area, and a few were dangerously close to dropping into the gray ocean, which reflected the overcast sky above. It was a wonder they hadn't frozen during the night, even with the heat-storing blankets and grill.  
  
Each of his companions was buried under a small heap of snow, looking more like a cluster of drifts than living things. Shishi searched through his duffel bag and pulled out a hairbrush. Sighing, he unbound his hair from its loose ponytail and brushed through it quickly, tying it back up before the others could awaken. He turned one of the knobs on the grill, coaxing a small bluish flame. Looking through the food bag, the samurai managed to find something to his tastes and started to heat up the beef-flavored ramen noodles. Remembering that the others would wake up soon, probably starving too, he did another check through the bag for any more noodles. Pulling out a container of chicken-flavored Ramen, he tossed that in with his own breakfast, stirring the pot occasionally.  
  
"Hm... should I call it Bicken or Cheef..." he mumbled to himself, staring out at the vast, endless ocean while he stirred the noodles. At the smell of food, however, most of the familiars, Kurama included, started to wake up. The former human shook the snow off his back, snuck out from his position curled around Lyra's head, and trotted over to the grill and sat by the samurai, enjoying the serene quiet while he could. The two both nodded a polite good morning, and Shishi ladled some of the Ramen into a small bowl for the fox. Kyuro walked over, stretching his tiny black body like a contortionist, and settled by the grill. "What's for breakfast?" the familiar mumbled, then yawned widely, showing off his perfect little razor- sharp fangs.  
  
"Ramen, Bicken flavor." Shishi replied, sliding another bowl of noodles to the cat. Kyuro daintily sniffed the broth, then lapped some up, savoring the taste. "Not bad... didn't know you could cook." The samurai tossed an empty container at Kyuro and it landed on the familiar's head, covering his slitted, green eyes. The black cat hissed and pulled the plastic cup off, then read the side. "Oh, instructions... what do you want dog?" Kyuro glared at Bones, whose green orbs were dimly glowing. The skeleton clacked his jaws a few times and yawned, his lower mandible almost popping off, before lying back down, his head draped on Shishi's lap. "Dogs..." Kyuro muttered under his breath.  
  
"I still don't believe you when you say this thing is three hundred feet long." Yusuke told Lyra, slurping his noodles at the same time. The older Admarant sister uncrossed her legs and stood up. "Guess I'll have to prove it then." She replied, then walked down towards the Sealord's head. The rest of the group watched as she seemed to talk with the whale, and jumped in alarm as the monstrous mammal rumbled from deep within its throat, making everything shake like they were in some minor earthquake. From far off in the distance, a giant fluke lifted up from underneath the water and waved a around for a minute before crashing back down into the ocean. Yusuke just blinked and turned back to the smug Lyra, who was finishing her instant breakfast. "O-kay... so it ~is~ that big." Jin floated up high in the air, shading his eyes with his hand. "Actually," he called down, "It's bigger than she said." Kuwabara shuddered at the thought. "Glad it's on our side."  
  
Nothing much had gone on during the afternoon, and Jin sighed, then flopped on his back, arms crossed behind his head, to watch the clouds. He had though that this trip would be a vacation, but the teachers had loaded the students with homework. Suzuka had been so callous as to assign them each a ten-page essay on what they did during the trip, surely as revenge for tricking Shishiwakamaru into traveling with them instead of helping the inventor correct test papers. In his mind, Jin thought about what he would write. "Day one: Boredom struck today, leaving a devastating path in its wake..."  
  
"HI!" Jin jumped, looking around for the source of the voice. He must've fallen asleep, as the sun was setting and a chilly breeze whipped over the waves. The stars were starting to come out, and behind him, he could hear the others chatting over the warm grill/fire. "Jin, dinner." Holly levitated on her broom, right above the demon's head, smiling. "Don't do that, okay?" he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his blue eyes. Yawning, he stretched and got up. "What's for dinner?" he asked, dreading the answer. Holly sighed and floated lower on her broom. "Ramen..."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Yep. Vegetarian style."  
  
"For crissakes, didn't anyone think to bring a fishing rod or something besides instant noodles?" he muttered, hands in his jean pockets.  
  
"Nope, we're kinda strapped for cash..."  
  
"Hence the reason we're hitch-hiking on a giant whale."  
  
"Yep... Kind of depressing, huh?" Holly shifted her weight on the weather- beaten broomstick and played with a loose strand of her reddish-brown hair. Jin shrugged and walked over to where his roommates were clustered around the warm blaze, over his shoulder, he said to the witch, "Better than starvin' I guess."  
  
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Day 2  
  
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Rogerik wearily opened his eyes, and confusedly looked up at the clear blue sky, too lazy to sit up or pull off the warm fleece blanket wrapped snugly around him. As he became more aware of his surroundings, the only thoughts that came to him were, 'Where am I? Why am I in someone else's yard..?' and, more importantly, 'What's for breakfast?' Suddenly, a dark silhouette blocked out the sun, her dark hair hanging down in front of her face. "Morning!" Lark chirruped, and Rogerik fully woke up from his sleep-induced stupor.  
  
The blonde rogue quickly sat up, so fast that Lark didn't have time to move her face and his forehead collided with her chin. "Owww... Good morning to you, too..." She muttered, trying to block out the throbbing pain that the blonde's thick skull had caused. Rogerik wasn't much better off, and started to dig through his backpack for a bottle of Ibuprofen. Unscrewing the child-proof cap, he tapped a pill into his palm and swallowed, gagging a bit since he didn't have any water to wash it down with. "May I ask you why you got me up so early, Lark?" he grumbled, and the younger girl smiled, trying to scuttle away as she did so.  
  
"Er...nothing much. But I think you should have a look at this." She pulled a pair of binoculars from her messenger bag and handed them to Rogerik. He snatched them from her grasp and scanned to horizon. "See what? It's all water, Lark." Lark sighed and forcibly turned her roommate's head over to the far left. "So? Its Misery island. Congratulations; you've just won a romantic weekend for two on dreamy Misery island, one of the most mosquito- ridden patches of land North of the equator- Eh? What's that?" the psychic student adjusted the binoculars and squinted, just barely making out a tall, thin tower hidden behind the tree-line. As the whale made its lethargic way closer, he recognized the spinning rotors and small generator. "Well, it's a windmill... probably used to generate electricity."  
  
"Yeah, there are more of them, too. They're spread all around the den."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense! This area is supposed to be uninhabited, and as such, wouldn't have wind-generated electricity running through it." Rogerik brought the binoculars up to his eyes again and took a long look at the many windmills spread in a circle around where the so-called "den" would be located.  
  
"Do you think someone got there first?"  
  
"Got where?"  
  
"To the den. You don't think someone else has already raided the dragon's hoard, do you?" Rogerik handed the binoculars back to Lark and sadly shook his head. "To tell the truth, I have no idea."  
  
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KKC: *sighs* I'm still taking requests for reader-created characters to appear in the story. My only real rules are that 1) the character has to be unique and original, and 2) I can't guarantee pairings with characters such as Shishiwakamaru and Hiei. Original characters like Lyonell and Farida are perfectly fine. If you're confused and want to ask me further about the subject, please e-mail me.  
  
Grimoire: Good, you got that out of the way. Now, let's start chapter 20!  
  
KKC: *groans and stuffs pillow over her head* Can't I take a break, oh slave-driver?  
  
Grimoire: Take a break?! Did Shakespeare take breaks? Did Edgar Allen Poe? Mark Twain? I think not!  
  
KKC: That's nice... they all worked themselves to death.  
  
Grimoire: They are still great writers, and as such, are respected for their great pieces of literature-  
  
KKC: *muffled* And they're all dead...  
  
Grimoire: *Ignoring KKC* They have risen above the other, mediocre writers to-  
  
KKC: Doesn't change the fact that they're dead...  
  
Grimoire: And as such, will carve their names into the ANNALS OF HISTORY! *strike a pose!*  
  
KKC: As a bunch of dead guys...  
  
Grimoire: -_-* She will never learn. But fear not, dear readers! I, Grimoire, will coax her into writing her puny, pathetic fanfiction.  
  
KKC: HEY! I HEARD THAT!!  
  
Grimoire: *dodges pillow thrown by KKC* Until then, please review. It seems to make her want to put more effort in, and makes her feel better about not getting paid for doing this. Ciao!  
  
Narrator Dude: *V/O* Has the den already been plundered by others? Why the heck are they riding a whale? And, most importantly... Will they ever have anything to eat besides instant Ramen noodles?! Find out next chapter in... *cue dramatic music* Cumulus Academy! Read and review! 


	20. The dragon's den is a freakin' HOTEL!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and Yumiko and Reion belong to Bladedream.  
  
Quote of the week: "Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone."  
  
KKC: Wow... I got more than one review for chapter 19! *does happy dance*  
  
Rinku: Cool! Hey, when am I gonna be in the story? *pouts*  
  
KKC: This chapter, actually, Rinku-chan. Just be patient. Anyways, a few of you people were confused about the windmills, but don't worry. Rogerik will explain the significance of them as soon as he gets the chance. *mutters* Y'see, he kinda misbehaved yesterday while I was planning this chapter, and now he's a little tied up, Courtesy of Lyra, Lark, and Holly. *points to Rogerik, who is chained to a tree (the chains are welded into one big knot) and gagged.*  
  
Rogerik: Mmph! Helmph! (translation- Help! Please!)  
  
Rinku: ...that's scary...  
  
KKC: Yes it is! Well, lets get rolling, shall we?  
  
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Narrator dude: As we last left our heroes-  
  
Hiei: *interrupts* who said I was a hero?  
  
Lark: *shoves Hiei out of the way* Yeah! And what about us girls?!  
  
Narrator dude: *sweatdrops* A-hem. As our heroes, obnoxious midget fire youkai, and wonderful ladies *winks suggestively, which earns him a thwap from Lark's frying pan* Itai... I'm not getting paid enough for this job... @_____@  
  
Lark: Whatever... to make a long story short, we're flat broke and decided to hitchhike... er... on a whale... yeah, that fits the bill. Anyways, we've seemed to run across these windmills and I have no idea what they mean.  
  
Hiei: But that's nothing new, is it?  
  
Lark: Shouldn't you be sulking in some dank, dark cellar somewhere? *turns back to readers* So, what could possibly be going on? I'm sure you guys don't know, and I didn't read the script beforehand so I'm friggin' clueless. Well, lets have fun and get this chapter over with, ne?  
  
Hiei: Hn.  
  
Lark: And the midget pyromaniac agrees too. So, get reading! Chop chop!  
  
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"Alright, and you woke me up this early because?" Yusuke glared at the blonde teen over a bowl of instant Ramen. Rogerik sheepishly grinned and pointed an accusing finger at his way-too-cheerful-for-this-hour-of-the- morning companion. "Her fault. I'm just playing along until we find a sedative that actually works." Lark glared, her usually blue eyes gaining a stormy sheen, and whapped Rogerik on the head with a small frying pan. "OW! Where'd you pull that from, Goddammit?!"  
  
Lark hastily hid the cooking utensil behind her back and pointed to one of the many bags strewn about the whale, along with instant Ramen containers, sleeping bags, and crushed cans of Vanilla Diet Coke. "Backpack. Now, lets get back on track. Rogerik..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell you Yusuke about what we found this morning." Rogerik just gave the younger sister a blank stare and Lark almost felt the need to whap him in the head yet again. "Ooh, let me guess... Hiei finally killed Kuwabara and you found his charred remains?" Yusuke perked up and gleefully slurped the last of his noodles. Lark hung her head, wishing desperately for some intelligent company at this time of morning, and replied, "Nah, but don't I wish..."  
  
"Okay, then it's not important enough to wake me up this early. I'm going back to sleep." Yusuke tossed his disposable bowl over his shoulder and leaned back, rolling his jacket into a makeshift pillow. He unceremoniously plopped back, and with a lazy wave to his two roommates, stretched out in blissful unconsciousness. "You BAKA! Wake the hell up!" Lark sharply kicked Yusuke in the head, her eyes clouded with anger. The Japanese teen grabbed her ankle and twisted, causing the black-haired girl to fall, landing on his gut. "Thanks for breaking my fall... are you okay?" Lark stood up, looking at Yusuke with something between concern and amusement. Yusuke just lay there, gasping for air and groaning over his squashed diaphragm.  
  
Rogerik sighed and quietly tried to get their attention, as hopeless as it may have seemed. "Alright you two. Would you stop fighting?" The two black- haired brats continued their bickering, ignoring Rogerik completely. Again, the psychic sighed, then drew in a big breath and screamed, "WOULD YOU TWO HALF-WIT ASSES SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN FOR ONCE?!" Both Lark and Yusuke just turned and stared as Rogerik quietly coughed, regaining his normally calm disposition. "Well, now about these windmills... The wind turns the rotors, which is hooked to a generator that converts it all to electricity-"  
  
"Yeah, I know how a windmill works, Rogerik. Who's the half-wit ass now?"  
  
"Shut the hell up! Ah-hem... now, if there is electricity being generated, why would they do it way out here, at an uninhabited island?" Met with the blank faces of his companions, Rogerik sweatdropped but continued onwards anyway. "Okaaaaaaaaay... anyone think that maybe someone's living there?" Lark leapt up, eager to voice her opinion. "Who in their right mind would come out here? It's just goddamn stupid to live in the middle of nowhere."  
  
"Good point... then again, who here is in their right mind? Whoever is, kindly raise your hand." Yusuke called out over his sleeping companions, and when no reply answered him, he shrugged and once again leaned back, ready to relax. "Well, that puts *that* theory to rest..."  
  
Lark, however, was more serious than Yusuke and seriously began to contemplate Rogerik's hypothesis. "Alright, so if someone is living out here, then why? And why on an island reputed to be home to a dragon?"  
  
"Not just someone, Lark. Judging by the number of windmills out here," Rogerik jabbed a thumb at the numerous towers in the distance, their steel rotors spinning in lazy circles from the generous sea breeze, bright morning sunlight reflected off of the highly polished surfaces. "Then there has to be quite a few residences. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an entire town or city on that island."  
  
"Wow... that is so Scooby-Doo."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I mean, there's probably a city or underground mining operation and they're using the legend of that dragon to scare away other people." Lark sat down next to Rogerik, crossing her long legs, and leaned back, enjoying the feel of the wind playing across her face and long black hair. "That is even more ridiculous than what Yusuke said about people around here being sane..."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so..." Lark leaned back, slightly leaning on Rogerik's shoulder. Suddenly, she straightened up and shuddered. "Please tell me that isn't your hand there..." Lark growled.  
  
"Well, er... uh..."  
  
"HENTAI!" The last thing Rogerik saw was Lark's palm connecting with his face before he blacked out.  
  
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"Y'know Chuu, I can forgive you for losing the money, and for getting us lost in the first place; I can even forgive you for losing our supplies... But losing the directions Risho gave us is completely UNACCEPTABLE!" Chuu grimaced as our favorite little ice-master furiously jabbed an accusing finger in his face, and shielded most of Touya's freezing blast of cold air with the laundry bin he was pushing. "Er... now don't lose your cool, Touya. It was an honest mistake, really!"  
  
"And then you got us stuck in this dead-end job until we could repay the owner for all the property damage you caused when you got carried away at the bar..!"  
  
"Now, now... it isn't *that* bad." Chuu once again hid behind the laundry bin, but this time shoved it in Touya's gut. The shinobi was knocked down on the ground and just lay there, panting for breath and trying to calm down. "Uh, you alright, mate?" Chuu leaned down and helped Touya up, helping support the ice demon as well as he could, despite the obvious height difference. "Are you guys done yet?" A timid voice asked from around the corner, and Chuu grunted a 'yes' before Rinku snuck out from behind his hiding place.  
  
The young youkai, dressed in a hotel uniform, staggered over to the laundry cart, burdened with a load of towels that completely hid him from view. "Touya's right, Chuu. This is a bit degrading."  
  
"Hey, at least I didn't just throw a temper tantrum in the middle of the hall."  
  
"No, but you did totally trash the lounge." Rinku pointed out, remembering Chuu's drunken fight a week ago in the hotel bar. Chuu grunted and turned around, only to be faced with an angry young woman, around the age of sixteen or seventeen, her long black hair tied in a ponytail over her right shoulder and a pair of room keys in her hand, which she shoved in the Aussie demon's face. "Hey! I went in my room and it was completely trashed! What are you guys doing? Having free-for-alls on the hallways?" Touya stumbled away from Chuu and tried to patiently reason with the angry hotel patron. "I apologize for my co-workers incompetence. We haven't been able to clean that wing of the hotel yet, but we'll start on your room right away, miss..."  
  
"Yumiko. And if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." She turned on her heel and stalked down the plush carpet hall, muttering something under her breath. Rinku gave a long, low whistle and pulled one of his yo-yos out, sending the little toy spinning up and down in time to her muffled footsteps. "Now that is one pissed teenager." Touya just blinked, and shook his head. "I hate this job." He stated.  
  
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Holly just stared at the giant behemoth in front of them. It was a stark white, it's gently curving form towering above the waves. Jin, levitating next to her, just stared, gaping at the sheer size of the monstrous structure. "It couldn't... there's no frickin' way in hell that thing is the dragon's den..." the wind master said, blue ayes straining to take it all in. Before the travelers stood a giant building, early morning sunlight reflecting off it's white and curved walls. Giant cruise liners surrounded the skyscraper, almost dwarfed in size by their destination, each humongous ship stuffed with humans and demons alike. Down below, Yusuke shaded his eyes from the blinding sun and sarcastically remarked, "Oh, yeah... nice research job. It's a friggin' skyscraper!"  
  
"Well, we can't all be perfect." Rogerik muttered, still nursing the stinging handprint-shaped mark on his cheek. Lark glared at both boys for a minute before turning back to her detailed story maps. "Yeah, Rogerik's proof enough of that."  
  
"Alright, enough fighting you guys. We can at least stop here and restock our supplies. We're all out of food." Lyra turned the duffel bag out to prove her point, which only earned a sniggered remark from Shishiwakamaru. "We can always catch fish, you are a water manipulator, after all."  
  
"Fine. I'll catch 'em, you can gut and scale them. I'd say that works out rather nicely." Lyra muttered, her patience finally starting to wear thin on this journey from Hell. Kuwabara sighed, and stopped playing catch with Bones. "Look, let's not start getting all pissy now. If this isn't the right place, we still have to survive a few more days together trying to get home. And besides, it would be easier to figure out what to do if we weren't all at each others' throats." He said, hoping that if his friends stopped arguing he would finally be able to get rid of the killer headache he had.  
  
Hiei stalked over, his red eyes glinting dangerously from underneath the black hair that shaded the upper portion of his face. Unwrapping the bandanna that covered his Jagan, the third eye glowed a sickly greenish color and the much shorter demon staggered back in surprise. Kurama trotted over to his friend and nudged Hiei's hand with his tiny muzzle. "What's wrong?" Lyra asked, some of her patience returning. Hiei shuddered and choked out, "It's in there."  
  
"What is?" Lark inquired, kneeling down next to the demon. "Is it the dragon?" Without a word, the fire demon nodded and suddenly stood up, knocking Lark off balance. "Yes, it is. And it's waiting for us." Yusuke turned to the top floor, where Hiei's three eyes were focused. "Then I guess we shouldn't disappoint him, should we?"  
  
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Cecilia gazed out of the giant, floor-to-ceiling, tinted windows that made up one of the walls of her large office, silently musing the strange travelers. They came to her premises on the back of a sealord, a giant whale even larger than a dragon. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she lifted the crystal glass to her thin lips and took a sip, savoring the taste. The large, brass doors creaked open and a small shadow slipped in, cringing as the mammoth door slammed shut behind him. The small figure nervously snuck up behind Cecilia and stood there for a few seconds, shivering as its mistress sent her overwhelming spirit energy across the expansive room, searching where her eyes could not.  
  
"What is it, Skolla?" The lean woman asked, sending the skittish goblin into another fit of shivers. "M-madame, they've come." Cecilia turned, her milky white eyes sightlessly roaming about the room. "I know, Skolla. Searching for a way to help the thief Kurama... a strange mission indeed." She took another sip from her wine glass and stepped away from the tinted windows, which blocked out most of the sunlight, and strode over to the large tank over by her large, mahogany desk. Placing her hand on the glass, she probed the inside with her spirit energy, the corner of her lips curving into a small smile. Inside the large glass tank, a large mermaid's purse floated in the brightly lit water, a strange white light pulsing from within the thin egg casing. "Er... Madame?" Skolla looked up at his mistress and stepped closer, into her shadow; the shadow's outstretched wings and large, serpentine neck dominated the room, betraying the proud woman's true form. "Let them come... they shall not succeed. My child will not be taken from me."  
  
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KKC: Okay, I apologize for taking so long. And to make it worse, I even left it at a cliff hanger. Am I cruel or what?  
  
Rogerik: Very. *dusts off his jacket*  
  
KKC: Wha? When did you get out?  
  
Rogerik: Doesn't matter. But, to all you readers, and my adoring fans...  
  
Rinku: Don't flatter yourself.  
  
Rogerik: *vein throb* ...please review.  
  
KKC: And use proper grammar. Do you know how annoying it is to try and read flames with run-on sentences and poor spelling? It's almost impossible. With that in mind, stay tuned for the next chapter. 


	21. Meeting a new friend, and some old ones

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, end of story. So go call off your lawyers.  
  
KKC: Sorry it took so long! ^ ^;; I was typing up my Halloween special. (Read it, please!)  
  
Grimoire: Shouldn't you be doing your fall foliage essay for Environmental science?  
  
KKC: But then I wouldn't have time to type up this! Oh, and did anyone see the Aurora Borealis on Thursday? It was awesome; the entire sky was red. In fact, that brings us to this week's quote...  
  
Quote of the week: "We're gonna die! It's the apocalypse! The world is doomed!" -Sean  
  
Grimoire: Poor kid, he was scared out of his wits.  
  
KKC: Yes, but apparently not scared enough to miss dinner. He ate all the popcorn chicken... *sniffle*  
  
Grimoire: Will you stop whining and get to work?!  
  
KKC: *whines* Yessir...  
  
Grimoire: Good girl.  
  
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Lyra walked into the giant lobby, Kurama curled up in her messenger bag, and over to the humongous front desk where an almost equally large woman was seated at a computer. Other demons were waiting around in line, most of them had the air of the snooty high-class, and Lyra nervously edged past them. The large woman looked Lyra up and down for a minute and then asked, "Can I help you?"  
  
"Erm, can I rent three rooms please?" Lyra inquired, watching as the woman turned to her computer screen and typed something in before taking what looked like three credit cards from a drawer behind the desk. "Are you paying in check, credit, or cash?"  
  
"Oh, credit ma'am." Lyra pulled out a silverish card from her back jeans pocket and presented it to the woman. She looked it over and glared at Lyra. "You're a student at the academy?"  
  
"Oh, um, yes. Why?"  
  
"Some people here were looking for a friend of theirs from the school. Sound like anyone you know?"  
  
"Nope." Lyra quickly answered, wondering what the woman was up to. The woman shrugged and got back to typing in her student ID -- the money would be charged on Lyra's father's bank account-and Lyra tucked the cards in her bag, next to the silent Kurama. The woman at the desk slid her ID back and Lyra nodded a "thank you" before walking back out to the docks, where her friends waited.  
  
"Well, you got the rooms right?" Kuwabara anxiously asked. Shishiwakamaru glared at him and coldly said, "Unless her student account was blocked, we're fine. Now c'mon; let's get our bags." The samurai shouldered his duffel bag and went through the electronically controlled glass doors.  
  
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Down in the lodge, a certain black-haired girl sat at one of the café tables, sipping Snapple iced tea. "Man, this sucks." Yukimi growled, remembering the trip to the Dragon's Den. Sure, it was her fault for picking a cheap travel plan (her wallet hadn't really allowed much.), but even coming here wasn't worth ten hours on a "Gays around the World" cruise boat. It wasn't that she hated gay people or anything; it was fun to hang out with a bunch of guys who liked V.C. Andrews novels and could arrive in a perfectly coordinated outfit (without the help of a girlfriend or sister, that is). Heck, her old teacher had been gay. Listening to pick-up lines from over twelve different lesbians had gotten on her nerves, though, and she just didn't have the patience. "I just hope that I can get into the hotel owner's room. I need to find that treasure..." she mumbled, brown eyes staring into the artificially-flavored drink.  
  
Another boy, almost the same age of her, sat down at the table next to her and set up a silverish-black laptop. Flicking on the power button, he chowed down on a cinnamon bun while waiting for the computer to boot up. As if noticing Yukimi staring at her, he turned to the girl and glared back at her with grey-green eyes, his unruly blond hair falling in front of his face. A beep from the laptop redirected his attention and he slid in a floppy disk, then brought up the hotel blueprints on screen. Biting his lower lip, the teen mapped out a path on the screen, totally oblivious to Yukimi, who was dangerously leaning out of her seat while trying to read the blueprints over his shoulder.  
  
"ROGERIK! GIMME MY LAPTOP!" The loud voice startled Yukimi so much that she lost her grip on the metal café table, the only thing that was keeping her balanced, and she fell to the floor with a very audible 'THUD'. Dazedly, the sixteen year-old tried to pinpoint the source of the angry voice and looked straight into the face of a glaring young girl. Yukimi glanced about the room for the boy with the blueprints, but he had disappeared, taking the 3 ½" floppy with him. "Oh, I'm sorry... my name is Lark." The girl brushed her long black hair out of her face and held a hand down to Yukimi, who took it and was graciously helped to her feet. As Yukimi looked up at the now smiling girl, she couldn't help but wonder how someone could shift gears so quickly, but was nonetheless glad that Lark was in a better mood. "I'm Yukimi. So, was he a friend of yours?"  
  
"Yeah, kind of... Rogerik's an okay guy, once you get to know him; he's kind of a loner." Lark shut down her laptop and tucked it into her bag, after a thorough inspection for any damages, of course. "So, Yukimi, what brings you way out here?"  
  
"I'm doing some studies for my university class." Yukimi slowly toyed with her hair, tied up in a ponytail over her right shoulder, and looked down at the ground. "Wow, you're in a university? You don't really look... uh, how should I put this..."  
  
"I don't look like I'd be in college already?"  
  
"Er, yeah." Lark nervously chuckled. Yukimi couldn't help but start to giggle, if under her breath. "Oh, I'm an assistant to one of the professors; he studies dragons."  
  
"No kidding? I guess it was the rumor that drew you to this hotel, huh?" Lark shouldered her bag and the two girls strode out of the lounge and into the small market place located near the lobby.  
  
"Yep! Always wanted to know what dragons really had in their hordes." Yukimi looked over at Lark, was gazing out of the huge tinted, glass wall (it goes for about forty-three stories. Big, huh?) at the ocean. Storm clouds were starting to gather on the horizon. "I thought that dragons horded treasure; you know, gold and jewels." Lark mentioned, rather off- handedly. The older girl stopped and looked out the window along with her temporary companion and replied, "It's been so long since anyone's made it back alive that no one really knows. And to each person, "treasure" is different."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Er, how do I explain this..." Yumiko gently massaged her temple and sighed. "Okay, um... a philosopher's treasure might be his library, whereas a parent's greatest treasure might be their children."  
  
"Not all parents are like that." Lark muttered, and Yukimi couldn't help but agree. "Yeah, I guess not... but it all depends on the individual." Next to her, Yukimi could hear Larks mirthfully chuckling. "What's so funny?" She asked. Lark just turned, all depression that had once clouded her eyes, gone. "You know, you should meet a friend of mine... you guys would really get along."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Alright, so we have which room?" Jin stared at the hotel map in confusion. Blatantly, Hiei pointed to a tiny speck that was labeled, "You Are Here." Glaring at the windmaster, the fire demon replied, "We're on the fourteenth floor, and out rooms are up on the twenty-second floor."  
  
"Fourteenth? But we were on the last floor we were on was the twelfth!" Kuwabara muttered. Shishiwakamaru shouldered into the conversation with his own little piece of info. "Most hotels leave out the thirteenth floor, for superstitious reasons."  
  
"Sounds stupid to me. Technically, this is the thirteenth floor." Kuwabara muttered.  
  
"Hey, Shishi," Yusuke asked, "Why are you suddenly full of info?" The samurai sniffed and haughtily replied, "Well, since Kurama is... indisposed... at the moment, someone has to have a fairly high level of intelligence around here."  
  
"Exactly, my question was, "Why you?", however; not "Why are you full of shit?" Yusuke flinched from the low growl that issued from Lyra's bag and stepped away from his roommate. "Not that you're full of it, Kurama. You know? I-er... was just taking my frustrations out on someone else that really deserved it?"  
  
Another menacing growl. This time Yusuke walked over to the far end of the corridor. "Whatever..." he muttered. Jin groaned and placed the five heavy bags he had been carrying with a loud 'thunk'. Kyuro, fur bristling, poked his little head out of one of them and hissed, "Will you be more gentle?! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Holly, her broom casually leaning on her shoulder, bent down and pushed her familiar's head back in the bag and zipped it shut. "Oh, just deal with it!"  
  
Jin grumbled something in Gaelic (it's a really old, celtic language. Not many speak it, since it's kinda dead.) under his breath and picked the bags back up, then turned towards the staircase, only to be run over by a cart being pushed by an oddly familiar demon in a hotel uniform. "Eh? Sorry mate, didn't notice you underneath all that baggage- whoa! Jin! What a surprise!"  
  
The red-head blinked at the hotel employee for a moment, trying to make the tall man out behind all the little crowlers flying in circles around his head, and floated over the ground, Indian style. "Chuu?" Yusuke leaned out from behind Kuwabara, gaping at the demon he had met at the dark tournament. "Urameshi! Hey, what are you guys doing here?"  
  
"Trying to get away from you." Hiei darkly muttered, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Lyra. To her relief, the strange man hadn't heard what Hiei had said, or else had chosen to ignore it, and continued to talk with Jin and Yusuke like old friends.  
  
"Yeah... Risho told Touya you'd left on an errand for Koenma and the poor bloke's been going crazy looking fer ya for the last two or so months. Mind you, he dragged me and Rinku along for the ride. Say... why don't we drop your stuff off at your rooms and have a few drinks at the bar?" The purple- haired man swung three bags over each shoulder and merrily tromped up the stairs, talking to the spirit detective and wind master the entire time.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
KKC: Yes, it's short. And yes, I don't care!  
  
Grimoire: You don't care about much, do you?  
  
KKC: I only care enough to make people think they're wanted. Oh, I was reading the reviews for my Halloween fic, and contrary to popular belief, people do not go around beating other people up on Halloween- unless you're hanging around at The Point. Trust me, if you're ever going to Salem, try to stay away from there. I'm saying this for your own health...  
  
Grimoire: Yeah, well how would I know? You didn't take me with you on Halloween.  
  
KKC: Oh, it was fun! Here's a little list my sister and I came up with after walking around downtown!  
  
# of cross dressers we saw: 27  
  
# of people dressed as Mike Myers: 5  
  
# of people dressed as prostitutes: 9  
  
# of people dressed as anime/manga characters: 14  
  
#of people dressed as nuns: 6 (and that's including the cross-dressers!)  
  
Most realistic costume/ cosplay: A guy dressed up as Edward Scissorhands  
  
Most ironic costume: A woman dressed as a pile of leaves- she was smoking a cigarette.  
  
Stupidest costume: A teen tied a plastic penis to his head and taped a sign that read: "Dick head" onto his shirt.  
  
Funniest costume: A guy dressed up as one of the knights from Monty Python's Knights of the Holy Grail.  
  
Most original costume: Someone came dressed as a mattress from the planet Raoul 5 (from hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. It's a planet inhabited by living mattresses, where they are killed and shipped out for people to sleep on.)  
  
Funniest scene: A guy dressed as The Rock and another guy dressed as Hollywood Hulk Hogan were faking a wrestling match in front of the bank. The Rock had two friends dressed as women (one of them was in a fat suit and was wearing a string bikini over it) cheering him on. It turned out to be a sissy-fight though... Buncha pansies...  
  
KKC: And, thanks to an insane old priest, I have a new song!  
  
*sing to the tune of Freres Jacques*  
  
Jesus loves you!  
Jesus loves you!  
Yes he does!  
Yes he does!  
Jesus f*cking loves you!  
Jesus f*cking loves you!  
Now go burn in hell!  
Go burn in hell!  
  
Grimoire: That's what Halloween is really for, to make fun of Christian extremists. You know, that kind that stands around yelling at people that the end is coming and everything you're doing is sinful? That you have to seek redemption now if you want to go to heaven?  
  
KKC: Freedom of speech is al fine and good, but don't we have freedom to listen to what we want to? Rgh... too tired to do "Wheel of Torture" this week, so I'll torture Chuu by next Friday. So, remember to review and Buh- bye! 


	22. Thief in training

Disclaimer: I own nothing... I don't even have any sanity.  
  
KKC: And here is my friend Stephanie with the quote of the week...  
  
Stephanie: Linbergher cheese equals funky uncoolness!  
  
Michealla: Makes perfect sense.  
  
KKC: Err... yeah. Okay... o__0  
  
Eddie: Yeah, uh-huh. I see how it is... you just go blow us off again because you draw good...  
  
KKC: ... because I can draw well, *well*... if you're going to whine and mope, at least use proper grammar.  
  
Eddie: Fuc no, dood!  
  
KKC: *glare* whatever, Just let me write in peace. *turns back to laptop*  
  
Eddie, Michealla, and Stephanie: *parade by, banging drums, tooting horns, and singing music by 'Weird Al' Yankovich*  
  
KKC: *sighs, vein throb* I hate it when they do that...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
December 20th, 7:40 pm  
  
"-And so I says, I says, 'Don't bug me.' And then the guy started whacking me over the head with 'is cane..." Yusuke stared at the collection of multi- colored, glass bottles of alcohol covering the far wall of the hotel bar. The Japanese teen sighed and rested his head on his hands, not caring when it slipped to the bar table with a dull 'thunk'. An ecstatic, and fairly drunk, Chuu sat across from Yusuke and Jin, regaling them with tales of the many barroom brawls, adventures, and mishaps in his two-month long journey. "And then I grabbed the cane out of the blind, old, geezer's hands and whacked him right back-"  
  
"Wait a minute, you assaulted a blind man with his own cane?" Jin incredulously asked, his blue eyes finally looking up from the contents of his own glass. Chuu shrugged and continued despite the strange glances Yusuke and the wind master shared. "So then the manager, fine Sheila she was, boys, let me tell you. And then the manager kicked all three of us out, but not before Touya lost his temper and froze me to the ceiling in a giant icicle (KKC: Chuu-sicle! ^-^)... Man, that sucked. It was flippin' cold. Speaking of ice-boy, he's gonna freak out when he finds out Jin is here..."  
  
At that moment, as if the Aussie demon had jinxed them, a perturbed Touya stormed over, his icy aura freezing the contents of the barroom patron's drinks as he stomped past. Jin sighed and tried to hide behind Chuu as best as he could, hoping that Touya would spare him from another long-winded lecture (As if). The ice master merely glared at Jin for a full thirty seconds before growling out five words. "Where the hell were you?" Jin cringed with every syllable and seemed to shrink before the petite ice master. "Well, uh, didn't Risho tell you?" The redheaded demon innocently asked, inwardly praying that someone interrupt the little scene. To the Wind master's dismay, Yusuke got up and, prying Chuu from his half-empty sake bottle, dragged himself out of the bar. "Er, I'm going to go ask Rogerik about the thing... yeah. At that place, ya know?" Jin watched in dismay as he two friends ran off, probably to watch the entire scene from somewhere much safer than the table. In fact, it didn't sound like to bad of idea right about now and Jin himself tried to sneak away, only to have his feet frozen to the floor by Touya's ice. "Now, I'll try this again, Jin. Where the hell were you?"  
  
8:27 pm  
  
Yukimi was greatly enjoying her chat with Lark, who was almost as strange as herself. Then again, the girl was an avid actress, so that probably explained her constantly changing moods. 'This girl wears her emotions on her sleeve,' Yukimi thought, and turned to her own room. "Oh, this is my room, I guess I'll see you later."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Hey, want to have breakfast tomorrow with some of my friends and me? It'll be fun." Lark smiled, a truly genuine one, and held out her hand, which Yukimi promptly shook. "Okay, it's a deal. See you tomorrow." Both girls nodded enthusiastically and Lark cheerily walked off to the hotel room she shared with Holly and her sister.  
  
Lark went to swipe her card key through the electric lock, but the door swung open into the room. Cautiously, Lark entered the bedroom and looked around for signs of the intruder. On one of the neatly made beds was a piece of paper, obviously torn from a notebook, and she noticed the scribbled handwriting as Rogerik's.  
  
'Get ready to leave. I doubt that the "dragon" will overlook its greatest treasure being stolen.'  
  
-Rogerik  
  
Muttering something under her breath, Lark crumpled the note into a paper ball and tossed it onto the carpeted floor. "That idiot... That stupid, perverted, idiot! What does he think he's doing?!" Just about ready to blow, she stomped out of her bedroom and out into the hall, in front of Hiei, Shishi, and Yusuke's room. Finally losing her temper, Lark screamed and blew the thick, wooden door down with a torrent of conjured water. As the water-manipulator stormed away, a startled Shishi stuck his head out the doorway and asked, "What was that for?"  
  
"Miewr?" the little silver-gray kitten pulled the long-sleeved T-shirt from over his head and trotted over to Yukimi, hoping to play with her long, black hair. "Hey, Reon. Can you do me a favor and guard my stuff?" Yukimi kneeled down and scratched her pet kitten underneath the chin for a minute, then stood up and tied her hair back up in its characteristic ponytail, the raven-black locks spilling over her right shoulder and down past her waist. "Mewr?" Reon mewed in confusion as his owner waved goodbye to him and stepped out the door, her lock picks, infrared glasses, and digital scrambler clipped onto her belt. "Be a good boy, Reon. I'll be back soon."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Er, Cecilia? Madam?" The thin, gangly form of Skolla crept inside the giant office, where his dragon mistress was seated at her desk doing paperwork. "What is it Skolla?"  
  
"I, er, heard from the restaurant cooks that the dragon-specialist Yukimi and the student Rogerik are planning on attempting a theft tonight, and soon. Please, let us stop them before they make it up here..."  
  
"No, Skolla." Cecilia's milky eyes locked on her the muddy brown eyes of her goblin servant, and the timid Skolla shivered. "B- but why, madam?" Cecilia sighed, and once again sent out tendrils of spirit energy, which seemed to caress the glowing mermaid's purse floating in the tank. "I want to see how good those two are. If the Fates are correct, this may very well be part of the group of travelers destined to put the undead to rest, once and for all." A quiet sea breeze wafted through one of the open windows, the voices of happy gamblers, young children, and love-struck honeymooners reaching the delicate ears of the hotel manager. "Don't you want to at least put some precautions up?" Skolla asked, hoping he could be of some help. Cecilia sighed and leaned back in her Italian leather swivel chair, turning to face the illuminated tank, then replied, "Very well. I'll be in my channeling room. I plan on seeing their struggle to the end."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
9: 16 pm  
  
Again, the massive hall was covered with a plush, wall-to-wall carpet, and moonlight faintly shone through the massive windows, illuminating his path. Rogerik took out a small flashlight and checked the wall and rug for wiring, sensors, anything that might give away his presence to the owner of his goal, a dragon's greatest treasure. A soft, red glow emanated from behind an expensive Chinese vase, and Rogerik quickly set about to disarming it with his PK (been awhile since he's used it, huh?). The red light died and he quietly snickered in satisfaction.  
  
A loud thud came from the far end of the lushly carpeted corridor, and the blond thief sharply turned around, only to see a strangely familiar face. "What the? Who the hell are you?" The girl gasped and scooted away from Rogerik, almost toppling over another delicate vase behind her. "None of your business!" She stood up and dusted her brownish cargo pants off, trying to regain some pride. "Now if you'll excuse me..!" Rogerik just stood there, mouth agape, and started yelling after her. "Hey, wait! Get back!"  
  
Yumiko rolled her eyes and continued forwards, ignoring the younger boy's attempts to get her attention. Suddenly she was tackled by the rival thief, who pinned her down with surprising strength. She was about to throw him off and deliver a few good blows of her own, when two bright, red beams shot out from the eyes of a roman bust of Athena and burned twin holes through the thick wall on the other side, about the height where her head had been. "Oh, erm... thanks?" Yumiko muttered, still staring at the holes, each one about two inches in diameter. Rogerik, suddenly aware of the girl underneath him (KKC: Bad boy! *whacks thief with harisen*), released her shoulders and stood up. "No problem. Wait one minute..." He expertly leaned down by the bust's elegant marble stand and cut a tiny, hair-thin wire running down the stand an into the wall. "Well, that disables that death trap." Apparently satisfied with his work, Rogerik turned on Yukimi. "And what are you doing here?"  
  
"None of your business!"  
  
"I just saved you from running around with two holes burned through your skull! I think I deserve some answers." He crossed his arms and leaned against the royal-purple walls, indicating he had plenty of time to spare. Yukimi sniffed and started walking down the hall once again, completely ignoring her teen-age savior. Another pair of laser-beams, this time from the eyes of a rather naughty statue of a heavily muscled Greek man, burned two more holes at head-height barely centimeters from Yukimi's face and she jumped back. Sighing, Rogerik went to work on disarming this trap too, and tried to pry some information out of the naïve girl as well.  
  
"Alright, so I'm looking for a dragon's hoard!" she said, angrily crossing her arms and watching her forced companion disarm yet another laser-beam- eye-statue, this one a ferocious looking chimera. Without turning from his work, Rogerik said, "Now, was that so hard?"  
  
"And what are you here for?" she asked, still grumpy about the present situation. The teen sighed and twisted two different wires together, then replied, "Yeah. Have any clue what a dragon's greatest treasure is?" Surprised, Yukimi blinked a few times before stating, "You know, I'm pretty sure I had this conversation earlier today. Treasure depends on the person; it's different for everyone."  
  
"Well that's a shitload of help. Can you be a bit more specific?"  
  
"Do you have any idea who you're stealing this treasure from?"  
  
Rogerik sighed and stood back up, then cracked his knuckles. "Nope, we were kind of strapped for time. I doubt there's even a dragon around."  
  
"There is." Yukimi said, staring absent-mindedly out the window. Rogerik tapped her on the shoulder, startling her out of her little reverie. "You were saying..."  
  
"Oh, right. The dragon takes the form of a woman. Her name is Cecilia and she's been running this hotel for over three hundred years."  
  
"I've seen older. Have any clue what she considers as 'treasure'?"  
  
Ruefully, Yukimi shook her head, the moonlight revealing bluish highlights in her long hair. "No one's made it out of a dragon's den alive in almost a hundred years. They're that protective of their hoard."  
  
"Lovely, it doesn't make the job any easier. Why are you looking for her hoard, anyways? Planning on stealing a few trinkets?" Both thieves cautiously continued down the hall, and, to Yukimi's relief, no more statues fired upon them. "Hardly. It's purely for research." Rogerik coughed, a badly disguised chuckle, and sarcastically stated, "Purely for research? You're looking to make a little money on the side, aren't you?" Yukimi merely blushed and started walking faster, trying to get away from the amused rogue. "Hah! I knew it! You miser!"  
  
"Up yours, you greedy little monkey!" she yelled back, not at all looking where she was going. Tha-doonnnnng!  
  
"Tha-dong?" Rogerik mumbled the idiom under his breath, as Yukimi stumbled away from the mammoth brass doors. "Uh... ow?" she dazedly said, blankly staring at the giant entrance in front of her. "Hey, I think we found Cecilia's office." The young woman pointed to a brass sign by the door that read:  
  
Madame Cecilia Hibani  
Hotel manager & proprietor  
Appointments only  
  
Both teens looked at the wall plate and shrugged, before Rogerik got to work unlocking the giant lock tumbler. In search of something to alleviate her boredom as the younger boy struggled with the complex locking device, Yukimi wearily flipped through the out-of-date magazines. Almost half an hour (and three science magazines from the year 1957) later, the psychokinetic teen bowed as the two-story door swung open with a mind- splitting creak. "Remind me to leave a note saying that she needs to oil the hinges on that door." Rogerik muttered to Yukimi, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and while you're at it," she caught sight of the painfully bare and drab office, and snorted in disgust. "Tell her to hire a designer too. What is she, blind?"  
  
The only light in the entire office was emanating from the large fish tank by the back of the room, near the dragon's mahogany computer desk. Curiously, Rogerik bent down to look at the strange little souvenir as Yukimi went around the room, looking for any hidden passages or doorways to the hoard itself. "Is it just me, or is our dragon not as much of a pack- rat as we had hoped?" Rogerik asked the dragon specialist, who was furiously scribbling in a little spiral-bound notebook she had pulled out of her pocket. "Come to think of it, it isn't what we were really looking for... Hey! What are you doing?!" She glared at Rogerik, who was untangling the mermaid's purse from its coral anchor. With a cry of success, he held the luminescent egg up in his hand. "Might as well get some profit off of the trip, considering we're not going to find any piles of gold and jewels, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah, but..."  
  
"Yukimi, we came here to steal, pilfer, and pillage. Are you saying you came all this way to write notes? If so, then why not just schedule a goddamn appointment?" A bit shaken by Rogerik's words, Yukimi looked down at the extravagant paperweight, one of the few decorative items in the room, and slipped into one of her many cargo pants pockets. From across the room, Rogerik grinned. "I've taught you well."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back in her channeling room, Cecilia growled through her unusually sharp canines and clenched her fist. Someone was tampering with the egg, and that someone would pay dearly if any harm came to the developing creature inside. Oh yes, his pain would be drawn out in the most gruesome of torturous devices, and when he died, he would become a most pleasing chew- toy for Kraken.  
  
In all her rage, the manager was starting to let her human disguise go, and reveal her true self. Sighing, Cecilia collected all her thoughts and calmed herself. No use losing her cool, as the young, naïve, fools would surely perish at the hands of her staff. She had seen what the ice-master and his two companions could do, which was part of the reason she had hired them, despite the bigger one's record. With one clawed hand, she pulled out the enchanted hand-mirror, her replacement for a cell-phone, and tried to contact the staff member down at the lobby. Receiving only static, Cecilia tossed the mirror away in frustration and forced herself to sit back in her chair. Whispering a short incantation, a wispy, shadowy creature slithered before her. With a command somewhat between a hiss and a growl, she ordered the wraith-like being into her office, where it could retrieve the precious egg and scare away the two, meddling children. Patience was a virtue, unfortunately, she had never believed in God and didn't intend on doing so now.  
  
Yukimi shuffled through the dragon's Braille documents, but suddenly stopped. Blinking, she glanced over her shoulder, searching for the scuttling sound. "Hey, do you hear that?" She asked aloud, and got only a "nope" from Rogerik for an answer. "Weird..." The teenage girl shrugged and turned back to the Braille, when a loud hissing noise filled the office. Both intruders jumped a little, and Rogerik muttered, "Well, I hear that." Nervously, the two of them backed towards the ajar door, scanning the shadowy corners of the room for the hissing creature. As if on cue, the wraith-creature slithered into a patch of moonlight on the floor and looked up at the teens with its featureless face. The bottom half of its body, which was a good ten feet in length, was almost like that of a snake's, only with centipede-legs. Its upper body faintly resembled that of a human's, except for the blank visage where its face should have been.  
  
Yukimi felt Rogerik stiffen up next to her, and worriedly glanced at him. The blond psychic was pale and breathing heavily, almost convulsing in fear. "Are you... okay?" She whispered, surprised that he didn't snap back at her for once. The wraith-guard-thing slithered closer on its segmented legs and reared up. "Give it back, trespassers... Give it back..." Frightened, the older girl was again surprised, but this time by the talking creature in front of her. It was speaking, without mouth nor telepathy. That was the last straw. Grabbing Rogerik by the arm, she ran , ran out of there, ran away from that horrid creature, and back to the normalcy of the hotel downstairs.  
  
Her spirit energy flared once more, searching for the different energy signatures, and she could sense the spooked teens leaving. As soon as she felt them make it down the stairwell, she stepped out of her secretive channeling room and into her office. Her white eyes reflecting a calm, if almost cheerful mood, she walked up to the tank, then noticed something was wrong; very wrong. There was no friendly light or heat from the placid water, and as the conjured servant came back to report its successful guard job, she furiously hacked it to shreds with a few well-aimed swipes. "Idiot... very well, then. I didn't expect them to even get this far, but let's see what happens when I take matters into my own hands." With a piercing shriek, Cecilia turned her sightless eyes towards the full moon and unfurled her leathery wings. Shedding the rest of her disguise, she followed the young criminals from the shadows, moving surprisingly fast for such a large animal. 'This time, they won't have it so easy.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
9: 58pm  
  
"Thanks for rescuing me from Touya, Holly."  
  
"Oh, its no problem. Besides, it's getting late and I thought you would like something to eat." The witch gestured over to a McDonald's stand that was among the many other fast food restaurants clustered in the food court. Despite the late hour, the food court was packed, and the two companions barely managed to get a clean table. Jin courteously went to go get their orders and Holly let Kyuro climb out from his hiding place in her bag. "It's about time you let me out." The cat whined, and took up a precarious perch on Holly's shoulder. "Well, if you hadn't attacked that janitor in the bookstore..."  
  
"Hey, I really thought that was a rat on his head. How was I supposed to know it was a cheap toupee?" Holly sighed and gave up arguing with her familiar, it had been a non-stop day anyways. A familiar head bobbed into view among the other hotel patrons and Holly excitedly wave Lyra over. "Hi! Where were you? Kurama and I looked all over for you guys!" The older Admarant sister quickly hugged her friend, whom she had gotten separated from nearly five hours ago. "Oh, you know... shopping, rescuing Jin from an old friend of his."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! Is this like a date between you two or something..?" Lyra asked, trying her best to keep the messenger bag that held the sleeping Kurama from being jostled around too much. Holly laughed at the idea. "Me and Jin on a date? I doubt that's ever going to happen!"  
  
"Well, we both know he really likes you..."  
  
"And I could say the same about you and Kurama." Holly sheepishly replied, which caused Lyra to blush a little bit. "Okay, point taken. Oh, here comes Jin. I'll see you later, okay? Bye!" Before the witch could get in another word, her friend was swept up into the congested crowd. "Well, that was...abrupt." Kyuro mewed.  
  
Furiously, Lark ran down the elegant halls, looking for Rogerik. "Stupid, perverted... could have least have told me instead of leaving a bleeping note..." The young girl was so swept up in her own angry musings; she turned a corner in the hallway and crashed into a terrified Yukimi. Both girls cursed, and then noticed whom the other had bumped into. "Yukimi! What happened?!" Yukimi snuck a look over her shoulder and replied, "No time to talk... Shit!" A tendril, composed of sickly looking gray flesh, snaked by her and slashed at her side. The sharp tip of the limb ripped open Yukimi's bag and snatched the paperweight that dropped from it. Both girls quietly watched as the tendril retreated back down the halls and listened as the scuttling sound finally died off. "What was that thing?" Lark asked, bluish-gray eyes reflecting her disgust at the wraith. "I think we better leave, soon." Yukimi said, then noticed that her former savior was missing. "Hey, wait a minute! Where the hell did he go?!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Rogerik! He was with me when we were leaving Cecilia's office... oh crap." Both girls shared a knowing look. Lark swallowed and stated, "'Oh crap' indeed."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eddie: Well, that ending solves just about nothing! Let's all congratulate KKC for writing another pointless chapter! *claps*  
  
KKC: *sarcastically* I'm thrilled, Eddie. Really, I am... Anywho, let's play "Wheel of Torture!"  
  
Stephanie: O-kay, then! Cue music! *Points towards off-screen, and sixties game-show music starts playing*  
  
Michealla: *sees giant "Wheel of Torture" and whistles* That is one BIG wheel.  
  
KKC: Yes, well for all of you who have read my Halloween fic (and if you haven't, read it, it's funny.), I promised to do Chuu this time around! Although I was tempted to torture Chris... but, a tail's a tail.  
  
Eddie: And you're not bitter.  
  
KKC: *growls* Nope, I'm not bitter. Not one freakin' bit. Who wants to spin?  
  
Eddie: *jumps up and down, waving his hand* Oh, I do! I do! I want to spin the big sparkly wheel! Let me, teacher! Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaassseee?!! Huh?! Huh?! Can I? Can I?!  
  
Michealla: Go right ahead, Eddie. Knock yourself out.  
  
Eddie: w00t! *spins wheel. It swirls in its trademark vortex of dizzying colors before landing on "Prostitute Sting"*  
  
Chuu: *walks in* Well, that doesn't sound too bad. ^-^  
  
KKC: *snickers* Hey, Stephanie! Get the bunny suit!  
  
Chuu: Bunny suit?  
  
*Ten minutes later*  
  
Michealla: Come on out, Chuu! We need to get you to the corner of Layfayette and School street before six!  
  
Chuu: *from behind curtain* There is no way in hell I'm coming out!  
  
KKC: Oh, come on Chuu and show us how pretty you are!  
  
Chuu: NO!  
  
KKC: Come on now or I'll send you to alcoholics anonymous.  
  
Chuu: *grumbles and whines, but come out into view. He's wearing a very revealing Playboy bunny outfit (which was originally designed for a woman), leather pumps, and is carrying a little black purse.*  
  
Stephanie/ Michealla/ KKC: Bwahahahahahaha! *collapse on the ground from laughing so hard*  
  
Eddie: That's... disgusting.  
  
Chuu: I am not going out in public like this! People will see me!  
  
KKC: People can see you now. See? *points out at sea of readers* Now go catch that bus!  
  
Chuu: I can't believe I'm doing this...  
  
Michealla: Don't worry, Chuu. Just think of it as community service for the police station.  
  
Eddie: But who's gonna pick him up dressed like that? ...Wait, I don't even WANT to know . KKC: But there's more! We're gonna tell the readers all about your little "outing" next chapter! That is, if they review.  
  
Stephanie: And a twisted chapter it will be. Sayonara! 


	23. Dragon's duel

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho and Yukimi belongs to Ryuu no Furui Yami. I do own the rights to Chuu's humiliation.  
  
KKC: Well, to those who read last chapter's "Wheel of Torture section, I'm going to give you the low-down on Chuu's "community service" for the Salem Police. ROLL TAPE!  
  
Grimoire: Right. *Presses play on DVD player*  
  
*On the tape...*  
  
Nov.7th , 10:36 pm  
  
Chuu: *Standing on a street corner, pretending to be a woman* *Sees car pulling up* Crud. Well, here goes nothing...  
  
Driver: *Is obviously drunk. He slowly pulls up to Chuu* Hey, baby! Wanna go fer a ride?  
  
Chuu: *in a high-pitched, falsetto voice* Oh, I don't know...  
  
Driver: Come on! *opens passenger side door* It'll be fun!  
  
Chuu: *still using fake, high-pitched voice* Well, okay. *gets in and buckles seat belt as the drunk driver barely makes it down the street in one piece.*  
  
Driver: *pulls in alley* C'mon babe. Show me the goods. *Staggers out of car and starts stripping*  
  
Chuu: *Locks car doors and revs up engine* *Takes cell phone from out of purse* Hello? Red Squirrel, this is Drunken Eagle. Do you repeat? Red Squirrel, this is Drunken Eagle.  
  
KKC: *from cell phone* I am NOT a Red Squirrel!  
  
Chuu: Hello? Do you repeat? *taps cell phone*  
  
KKC: *growls* Yes, I repeat. Whaddaya want?  
  
Chuu: The beaver has returned to its dam. I repeat; the beaver has returned to its dam.  
  
KKC: Right. Donut Addict will be there in a minute. Let me just trace the location of your call... See ya later, Drunken Eagle!  
  
Driver: *Banging on passenger-side window of the car* Hey, honey! Whatchoo doing?! *hears sirens* Oh crap! *starts running out of alley, only to be tackled by a three-hundred pound cop*  
  
300-pound cop (aka: Donut Addict): *handcuffs driver* Put your hands behind your head and be silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.  
  
Driver: I-it wasn't me! I swear! I didn't do anythiiiiiiiiinnnngggg! *shoved in back of police car, and is banging on the glass.*  
  
Donut Addict: Hey, you in the poorly made bunny outfit, out of the car. *takes night stick from belt*  
  
Chuu: *gets out of car and puts hands in air* Hey, it's me! Drunken Eagle! Don't hit me! And if you don't mind, I'm gonna go home and get out of this rodent suit. *starts walking out of alley, picking at his behind* 'Tupid prostitute getup... Got a goddamn wedgie!  
  
*Fin*  
  
Grimoire: *still staring at screen* 0___0 well... that was strange and... disturbing...  
  
KKC: And thanks to Jumbo who offered us his services for the prostitute sting!  
  
Jumbo: *V/O* Hey! No using actual names!  
  
KKC: Dude, Jumbo isn't even your real name! It's just a nick-name.  
  
Jumbo: *V/O* It's a childhood nickname that's stayed with me since I was five! No using it!  
  
Grimoire: You better listen to him, he's a cop.  
  
KKC: Fine... Well, let's get started with chapter 23!  
  
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10:16 pm  
  
Lark ran through the halls, searching desperately for Rogerik. The thief had gone missing ever since Yukimi and him had made their escape from Cecelia's office. The young girl groaned aloud when all the lights in the hallway shut off. Looking out of one of the many floor-to-ceiling windows that took advantage of the usually beautiful ocean view, Lark saw the lower floors in the hotel simultaneously shut off. "Beautiful," she muttered. "Stupid dragon must've broken a power line or something."  
  
Speaking of the devil, that same dragon barreled down the twisting hallways of her domain, seeking out her treasure, her child. She could smell the wretched human who had stolen the precious egg, and traced the scent down one hallway and into the hotel's main foyer. The carpeted path ended abruptly into the balcony walkway, which went around the foyer's forty- three story walls. The giant tinted window revealed the ocean, which was starting to produce ten-foot waves, and the dark, cloudy sky. Even as Cecilia grew more and more angered at the disappearance of her prey, the winds rose and the dark water became more and more turbulent.  
  
"Come out, boy... Give me back my child." Cecilia took a sharp turn down another corridor, chanting the same thing over and over. It was all that mattered, retrieving the egg before the thief could bring it to that cursed Youko. A certain energy signal invaded her head, and the dragon did a quick 180 and rushed back to the foyer. She could sense the thief down amidst the panicked crowd and rushed over the balcony, her long, serpentine body flowing like water. Two stories down, she unfurled her giant, leathery wings and glided down to land gently in front of the surprised boy. Fear radiated from the blond psychic, and his gray-green eyes were wide in terror. She could hear his heartbeat quicken, "see" his legs stiffen with her spirit energy sonar and couldn't help but grin, showing off her long, sharp fangs. She was having so much fun watching the boy tremble in terror as she charged up her energy-ray attack, that she didn't notice the young girl tackle her prey out of the line of fire, just before the precision beam ripped a neat gorge in the granite floor.  
  
Rogerik didn't what happened. One minute, had been looking up at certain death, the next, he was sprawled out on the floor, staring at the thin crack that ran from one side of the room to the other. The granite shifted under the dragon's weight, and the rogue grabbed the hand of his savior and the both of them ran for cover, ducking underneath a massive statue from the fountain centerpiece that had fallen the stone floor. Both sighed in relief as the seemingly blind dragon continued the search for its prey by its senses alone, and not through its strange "echolocation" trick with spirit energy. "You okay?" a familiar voice asked, and Rogerik groaned at the realization of who had rescued him from certain death. "Yeah, Lark, I'm fine. What about you?"  
  
"I'm okay... but this really, really sucks."  
  
"Yes, indeed. But then again, I suck as a thief."  
  
"Yeah. but I suck at finding people... hah! We suck! WE SUCK!" Despite the imminent danger, both students burst out laughing, and continued to roll around on the floor with laughter, not caring about their overall suckiness. Suddenly, Rogerik sat back up and stared into space. "Actually," he said, "We DO suck." His statement dissipated the happy little aura of Lark, and the black-haired girl sighed.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Let's not talk about it anymore."  
  
"...Okay."  
  
From Rogerik's bag, the mermaid's purse continued its luminescent pulsing, which increased in speed as the dragon once again came towards the hiding teens. Lark and Rogerik silently tried to sneak out from behind the large statue, hoping the dragon wouldn't notice that they were gone. No such luck.  
  
With a terrible screech, Cecilia charged right at them, powering up her ray attack at the same time. Both teens scrambled to get out of the way, but their agility failed them, as their feet seemed to be paralyzed and stuck to the floor. Without thinking, Rogerik went to shield them both from the with a pathetically weak energy barrier he somehow managed to fling up and closed his eyes, expecting to be sliced in half by the dragon's lethal attack. There was a loud ringing noise, not unlike someone was circling their wet finger over the rim of a crystal glass, and both Rogerik and Lark were surprised to still be alive. Through the opaque surface of the conjured shield, one neither of the younger teenagers could have made, was a petite figure and Lark gave a shriek of joy. Standing in the rubble of what used to be a magnificent archway was Lyra, her eyes glowing an eerie blue and chanting something under her breath.  
  
The shield melted and Rogerik and Lark ran from the locale, using the thick dust as a cover while Cecilia nosed through the debris, apparently looking for their mutilated bodies. "Damn! Hey, Lyra! Where the hell are you?!" Lark stumbled over a damaged replica of Atlas, and shouted out for her sister. Before she could call out again; however, a white-tipped, furry tail stuffed itself in her face, making Lark gag. Glaring, she searched through the choking dust and triumphantly pulled out Kurama, who was embarrassingly being held by the scruff of the neck. The fox struggled and broke free of her grasp, tumbling to the floor and amazingly landing on his paws. With a sniff, Kurama trotted off into the thinning cloud of dust and dirt, his brightly colored tail held high like a banner to guide them.  
  
The progress was relatively quick, and before long, Holly and Lark were nervously chattering. Jin levitated nearby, keeping a sharp eye on the furiously searching dragon, the usual happy grin on his face missing. "This had better be good, punk." Shishi drawled, leaning against a partially collapsed column. Rogerik gave the samurai hardly a glance and took the glowing mermaid's purse from his bag. Amazingly, it had not been damaged during the entire of ordeal, but pulsed ever steadily, almost like a heartbeat. "I think this is what she's after." The blond stated, but was interrupted as Cecilia's screams punctured the air. Jin, obviously in a hurry to keep his companions safe from the behemoth of a carnivore, whipped up a slightly-less-than-hurricane-force wind and lifted them into the air.  
  
Holly was precariously perched on her broom, Kyuro braving the ordeal at her side, and zoomed over to Rogerik. "Let me see your bag," she hissed, and snatched it from his grasp before the thief could complain. Flying high and out of Jin's sight, Holly zoomed past Cecilia's head, hoping that the dragon would notice where the egg was now located. Exactly to the witch's expectations, the scaly head turned and two milky-white eyes followed the path of the broom, non-seeing but accurate all the same. Once again, she charged up her ray beam, but before Cecilia could fire it, Holly threw the bag over to a surprised Shishiwakamaru. The samurai fumbled with the bag and the pulsating mermaid's purse fell out and into the jaws of a sorely airsick Kurama. Jin, getting the drift of this strange and dangerous game of catch, scooped up Kurama and brought his arm far back. "Sorry 'bout this, fox." The youkai sheepishly said, right before he sent Kurama on a perfect spiral throw right into the arms of Yusuke (Oh, NOW he shows up).  
  
Once again, Cecilia whipped her head around and advanced on the egg's bearer. Yusuke, unsure of what to do, tossed the egg, Kurama included, over to Chuu. The drunkard dazedly stared at the dizzy fox kit and shrugged, then tossed Kurama over to Hiei. Once in the fire demon's arms, Kurama looked up at Hiei with pleading, emerald, eyes. The Jaganshi looked down at Kurama and smirked, before tossing the poor fox into another spiral toss back into Holly's hands. Such a sickening trip through the air was seriously affecting Kurama's stomach, and he was delirious with gratitude when Lyra refused to throw the fox over to Yusuke when the little kit landed in her arms.  
  
Now that the target wasn't moving around quite as much, Cecilia fired her ray, which was mostly blocked by Lyra's close-to-impenetrable energy shield. The beam sliced through the granite floor once again, and cut a neat hole in the whitewashed, titanium walls. Jin, seeing their chance to escape, led the enraged dragon through a series of complicated loops and spirals before shooting through the hole in the wall, closely followed by Cecilia. At first, only her long snout could get through, but as her confusion and fury intensified, she soon forced herself through the wall and out into the stormy sea.  
  
As the wind master and dragon chased each other throughout the sky, their figures barely specks in the distance, Touya ran up to Yusuke, Yukimi not to far behind. "What the hell did you guys do THIS time?!" The ice magician coldly asked, then noticed the glowing mermaid's purse Lyra held in her hand. His pupil-less eyes widened in shock and Touya managed to choke out, "Oh no... you didn't..."  
  
"'They didn't' what?" Yukimi asked, her bag slung over her shoulder and carrying a cat carrier in her right hand. She followed Touya's gaze to the egg and shrugged. "Yeah? And? The dragon wants a manta ray egg back?"  
  
"That is not a ray's egg." Touya muttered, and carefully took it from Lyra's grasp. "This, this her child... Cecilia's own flesh and blood. She's been taking care of this thing for years." Yukimi looked out towards Jin and Cecilia's aerial battle and back towards the seemingly harmless egg in Touya's hands. "She's been protecting her clutch for this long? But then what happened to the other eggs?" Lark asked  
  
"Probably stolen or destroyed in the past, despite her efforts. That's why this one is so precious to her, and it's so close to hatching too." Yukimi said, starting to pity the hotel manager. The ice master gravely nodded and placed the mermaid's purse/ dragon's egg back into Lyra's hand. "I heard about your entire little trip from Jin," he stated, giving an understanding look to the disgruntled Kurama. "I thought you would've tried harder to stay out of trouble, Kurama. It's hard to steal something that isn't there."  
  
"What do you mean 'isn't there'?" Yusuke growled, still staring up at the sky where Jin was skillfully dodging Cecilia's dangerous claws. "You mean we came all this way for nothing?"  
  
"Cecilia treasures nothing, its not like she would wither and die if this egg was destroyed. In fact, she'd be able to get over it with amazing grace." Touya replied. Hiei solemnly stated, "Such a trait comes with an eternity of living." Without so much as a warning, the fire demon grabbed Holly by the collar of her jacket and pointed up to the overcast night sky. "I need you to get me up there, pronto." The witch innocently smiled and pulled out her broom, the utensil readily levitating in mid-air. Swinging one leg over, she hopped on and patted the broomstick behind her. "Don't worry, I don't crash... often."  
  
Lyra watched as her roommates flew off to try their best to help the tiring Jin, then turned back to Touya. "Touya," she asked, "What is the one thing Cecilia hasn't given anyone in years?"  
  
"Her trust, probably." Rinku interjected, finally deciding to break the heavy silence that had befallen his icy companion. "Trust, huh? That's gonna be a hell of a task if we've gotta gain her trust." Kuwabara muttered, his jacket wrapped tightly around himself to keep out the cold air.  
  
"Not earn it, Kuwabara. We have to trust her and hope she'll be touched enough to spare our lives and heal Kurama." The elder Admarant sister seriously doubted her own theory, but then again, they didn't really have any other choice. 'Hiei' Lyra tried to focus her thoughts and spirit energy on the petite demon, hoping his Jagan would take most of the burden of trying to telepathically talking with a non-psychic. 'Hn...' Hiei transmitted his seemingly favorite word into her mind, followed by, 'What do you want, Lyra?'  
  
'Try to lure Cecilia down to the ground. And tell Jin not to try and be heroic or anything like that.'  
  
There was a loud cry of "Tornado Fist!" and Lyra sighed. 'Never mind... just get Cecilia down here.' Up above, she could see Holly give her the peace sign and crossed her fingers. Now all she needed was a bit of luck and the egg she held in her hand.  
  
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With a malicious grin, the shinobi ducked underneath another one of Cecilia's tired, but furious, claw swipes and rose higher into the air. The dragon was tiring, as it wasn't used to such battles. "Jin! Get out of there!" Hiei shouted above the rushing wind that almost drowned out everything else. The wind master turned towards the other demon, and his blue eyes widened in surprise as the Jaganshi started to burn the bandages on his right arm with black flames. "N-no. You wouldn't! Hiei, don't be stupid!" Jin was distracted enough by the black fire racing up and down Hiei's arm, he didn't even notice the monstrous dragon suddenly appear out of a particularly low-flying rain cloud and snatch the wind master right out of the air in her sharp teeth. Cecilia shrieked a high-pitched cry of victory as she plummeted towards the once crowded hotel, and Hiei smothered the flames licking his arm (sorry kids. No Black Dragon Wave for you today. ^ ^). Putting a hand on the stressed witch's shoulder, he whispered, "It's all up to Lyra now. She better not screw up this time." In a split second; however, he found himself clutching onto the weatherworn broom handle as the wind witch went into a perfect nose-dive after the dragon. Not know what else to do, the fire demon yanked back on Holly and tried to forcibly straighten the broom out.  
  
In all actuality, Lyra's hope that Jin wouldn't be the absolute victor against the dragon mother was quickly becoming a hope that fervently prayed to whatever God might possibly be listening to spare the young demon's life. Cecilia dragged her prize over the granite floor, grinning triumphantly as she tossed the unconscious wind master down to her clawed feet and hissed at Lyra. The water manipulator calmly tried to approach the ecstatic creature, but couldn't get past Cecilia's flailing tail. "What's wrong, little girl? Can't reach your friend?" Cecilia hissed once again and reared up to her full height, flaring her wings at the same time.  
  
Kurama rushed over to Lyra, who was blocking herself from the dragon's furious whippings from behind a chunk of sculpted stone. The fox kit wedged himself between the statue and floor and nervously nudged Lyra's hand. The raven-haired girl smiled at Kurama for a second before placing the mermaid's purse on the marred floor before the kit, who picked it up gently in his teeth and tried to return it to her. "Go on, Kurama," she calmly said, despite the strange and dangerous predicament. "Go finish your test." Before Kurama could voice a complaint, Lyra grabbed the fox and tossed him over the statue and towards the dragon.  
  
Meanwhile, Holly was still diving down at Cecilia at breakneck speed, focusing only on the unconscious demon at the dragon's talons. Both Hiei and Kyuro were trying to stop her mad charge, as well as save their own skins. Still the witch fought against them, using the wind to drive her broom even faster down towards the turbulent ocean. The waves and storm clouds were starting to disperse now that the enraged dragon had overcome the wind master, and the creature in question was now roaring in victory. It was a primitive cry, one that sent chills up the spines of familiar, demon, and witch. For but a split-second, Holly stopped her mad descent, and Hiei took the chance to grab her by the wrists and take control of the broom. Despite Holly's angry struggling, the Jaganshi kept firm control of the situation and positioned himself over Cecilia, hanging a good thirty or so feet above her head. He would wait; wait until the perfect chance to take down the behemoth below him presented itself.  
  
A bit unsure of what to do, Kurama nervously approached Cecilia; the dragon was still gloating over her victory and didn't even try to guard against the seemingly helpless fox cub. Almost before he knew it, Kurama was before the dragon, and tried to scuttle away before said dragon would notice him. "You. Fox cub. What do you want..." Cecilia's mirthful chuckle died away in her throat as she realized what Kurama had clenched in his tiny jaws. With a sudden lunge she reached for the softly glowing egg, but Kurama glared at her and tightened his grip around the egg, almost breaking the leathery skin with his sharp little teeth. Cecilia recoiled away from the kit and his dangerous possession of her precious egg, and hissed, "What do you have to gain, fox, by doing this?"  
  
In a way that all animals can understand each other, Kurama replied, "Give me back my friend, or I'll chew through this egg of yours." Cecilia hissed in frustration, desperately trying to come up with a plan to rescue her child without giving in to the clever fox. "And why should I just give up this corpse before I retrieve my child?"  
  
"You don't have much of a choice. Now, return Jin to me." Kurama amazingly held his ground, all thoughts towards tricking the dragon into giving her most treasured and guarded possession. She growled her regrets, but tossed the unconscious rag doll that was Jin to Kurama's side of the wreckage and patiently waited for the fox to return her egg.  
  
In truth, Kurama didn't know what he was doing until he was already before the impatient dragon, teeth clutched around the pulsating egg. Underneath her reproachful glare, he placed the egg by her claws, which she was tapping against the granite in a constant rhythm. As soon as he skittered back out of the way, Cecilia scooped up her egg and turned her back to the fox. "You know, I really didn't think you would keep up to your part of the deal. Tell me, what were you searching for?"  
  
"Treasure. Nothing more." Kurama tucked his thickly furred tail around himself and calmly glanced at Cecilia. "And what is this treasure?"  
  
"Treasure varies from individual to individual. You just have to try not to lump anything in with the rest."  
  
"I see... a strange view on life, I must admit. However, you owe me quite a bit of treasure to pay me back for these damages." She waved a wing over the charred and burnt ground that was once her magnificent hotel. The patrons had run off long since, and the smoking, ruined harbor was empty of ships. Yusuke was about to complain about the unfairness of the predicament, but Kuwabara quieted him. "At least we still have our stuff, so no blowing up at her. I'm still surprised she hasn't killed us yet."  
  
"Kuwabara, if she killed us who would be left to pay for all the damage? We're being kept alive to pay her."  
  
Ignoring the two boys' argument, Cecilia seemed to muse on the situation a bit before turning to Kurama, her blind eyes reflecting a faint glimmer of mirth "The child is bound to be born soon, and I can't take care of it once repairs have started. Care for my hatchling until I complete rebuilding my home and I will consider your debt repaid."  
  
Kurama, realizing what the dragon's commitment meant to his test, nodded and in doing so, unleashed a chain of lightning that struck him on the spot. Again, he felt himself drowning in a flood of energy and be ripped apart as his body reconfigured itself. When the blinding light and blazing heat stopped, he dropped back down to the wet, cold floor in a shivering heap. The girls' eyes widened at the sight and Yukimi quickly spun Lark away from the sight of the naked boy. "Er, better if you look away, Lark."  
  
"Not much to see anyways." The younger girl dryly commented.  
  
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KKC: Yay! I'm done! That took a whole lot longer than I thought!  
  
Kurama: *blushing* I can't believe you did that to me...  
  
KKC: Hey, it makes sense that you wouldn't be wearing anything since you were an animal beforehand.  
  
Kurama: Yes, but...  
  
KKC: Give it a rest. Anyways, will the crew get back to their school-time home in time for Christmas?  
  
Kurama: Yes, and review please.  
  
KKC: Oh, and if you're wondering about how Kurama's test requirement was fulfilled, then e-mail me. My address is right there on my bio page. Speaking of which, I almost forgot my quote of the week! Oops... ^ ^;;  
  
Quote of the week: "Sorry, I stopped listening days ago." -Kaitlyn Geary (from "Kaitlyn's Teachings") 


	24. What's this? An attack?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho...yet. And again, Yukimi and Reon (Yukimi's pet kitten) belong to Ryuu no Furui Yami.  
  
Quote of the week: "Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy."  
  
KKC: *sighs and reclines back in computer chair* *starts humming "I like Turkey" by Adam Sandler under her breath*  
  
Grimoire: Well, somebody's happy... What did you do this time?  
  
KKC: Grim, I can't believe you would just jump to a conclusion like that! What could possibly make you think I did anythi-  
  
Chris: *walks into KKC's room. His right eyebrow is shaved off* ...you...  
  
KKC: Eep... *clears throat and holds out hand to Chris* Truce?  
  
Chris: *glares at his sister for a moment, then shakes her hand* Truce. *glares at KKC some more, then leaves the room to drown his sorrows in video games*  
  
Grimoire: Wasn't that a bit... lenient for what he did to your tail?  
  
KKC: Well, I can always hide my tail; he can't hide his eyebrow, though. Besides, he hasn't seen the digital pictures I printed up and passed out to his friends.  
  
Grimoire: I must say: it's respectably evil.  
  
KKC: Thank 'ya. Now, thanks to my faithful reviewers, I have enough energy to finish typing this up! Onward, I say, onward!  
  
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Who knew that they would be flying back home on a dragon?  
  
To Kurama's immense relief, Kuwabara and Yusuke had managed to find a set of clothing that fit him, and the fox soon was able to hold a conversation with Cecilia, whom had returned to her human disguise. Surprisingly, the dragon was feeling courteous enough to fly them back to the academy, and soon the fourteen adventurers (Chuu, Touya, and Rinku included) were on their way back home. Yukimi told the crew she was traveling around the country anyways and had always wanted to see the famed school herself, so she tossed her bags up on Cecilia's scaly back and, along with Reon, prepared herself for the long flight to the academy.  
  
The trip was pretty uneventful until the early morning of the second day of their travels across the ocean, a bright and sunny December twenty-fourth. Surprisingly, no one was in the Christmas mood, but maybe it had to do with what the cold, Northern wind had brought in. Kurama had just woken up when the little fluff ball had entangled itself in his red hair, and soon he felt the clawed, four-toed feet and heard the familiar squeaks of whom else but Salvatore. The lovebird climbed out of the fox's hair, with help from both Kurama and Lyra, and was soon sitting on his owner's shoulder, his feathers fluffed up to guard against the wind. Lyra was busy untying a small note that was attached to Salvatore's sturdy little leg with twine, when Yukimi asked, "Er... what is a parrot doing this far up north?"  
  
"He's not just any parrot, he's my pet. It looks like someone was using him to deliver a message." Lyra took the small parcel from her pet bird and unrolled it, then read it quickly and silently. "Shit."  
  
"What?" Lark asked, trying to read the letter from over her sister's shoulder. She only caught a few words, "Help" - "undead attacking"-- and "Oh yeah, Merry Christmas, Lyonell", before Lyra quickly folded it back up and passed it to Kurama. The fox took one look and shook his head. "This is bad... Cecilia!"  
  
"What is it, fox kit?" the dragon replied, the voice rumbling from somewhere way up front where her head was.  
  
"Double time. A horde of undead attacked the school."  
  
"Right, we'll be there in about an hour." Cecilia's leathery wings shuddered and flapped twice as hard. Instead of the calm breeze that had encased the travelers just a few minutes before was turned into a roaring, cutting wind as the dragon flew at top speed to the Academy.  
  
True to her word, Cecilia had landed on the lawn in front of the main office buildings in a little less than an hour. The fourteen of them scrambled off and Holly and Jin took to the sky, following the screeching Salvatore. The lovebird circled twice before flying east, towards the cafeteria. Jin kept even with Holly, fighting the urge to rush ahead as fast as the wind would allow. The witch noticed Jin's uneasiness and said, "Jin, go on ahead."  
  
"Hm? You sure?"  
  
"Yeah. The sooner you get there, the sooner we can drive out any remaining undead."  
  
"Right, see ya!" The red-haired youkai did a backwards flip in mid-air and sped ahead; he was soon a speck in the grey sky. Snow had fallen while they were gone, and it now blanketed the entire campus in a two foot-thick layer of delicate, glistening, snowflakes. What stained the snow wasn't exactly as pretty, however. The glistening white had been turned to a dirty red color, and the snow had been trampled flat in the places where the blood had been spilled.  
  
"My god..." Lark stumbled through the snow, her eyes wide open, taking the scene in. "What the hell happened?" Tears stung her blue-gray eyes, and she brushed them away. She'd be damned if she let them see her cry.  
  
"Looks like a struggle. I'm starting to wonder how long ago Lyonell sent Salvatore after us." Kurama stated, bending down to get a closer look. Kuwabara's duffel bag shuddered, and zipped open of its own accord. Bones began to pile out of the overturned bag, and arranged themselves into the lovable canine skeleton, which started to sniff around, despite the fact he had no nose. Yukimi skittered away from the living skeleton and hid behind the closest thing to her: Touya. The icemaster gave her a strange look and pointed to the busy Bones. "What is that thing? Another pet?"  
  
"Yep." Kuwabara watched as his unusual pet ecstatically sniffed at a large bloodstain. Bones took a few more whiffs of the stained snow, then threw back his skull and clacked loud enough for everyone to hear. "Good boy, Bones! What'd you find?" Kuwabara dug down where the skeleton was prancing around and his hands grasped around a solid object. "Hey, I got something!" He exclaimed, pulling his find out from the snow to reveal... a decapitated, rotting head. The teen shrieked and tossed it away like it was a rabid ferret, then accidentally kicked something underneath the thick blanket of snow.  
  
"What the..?" Chuu felt something stir from below his own feet as well and bent down to dig away the cover with his hands. All was silent and totally still for a moment, until a blackish, imp-like creature clung onto Chuu's arm and drove its rotted fangs into his arm. The Aussie Youkai howled enough swears to put a sailor to shame and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. He tried to rip it off, and indeed, the body separated easily enough; however, the head was still attached to his arm, rolling eyes, slobbering fangs, and all. Rinku's eyes widened and his hand automatically went to the small bag at his waist. Slipping on the strings around his fingers, he wound the yo-yo's around the head, and with a mighty tug, pulled it free from his friend. "The heck was that?" the young demon asked, staring at the wrenched off head, which was still trying to grab hold onto something with its sharp teeth.  
  
"I dunno, but it looks like it was poisonous." Chuu muttered, looking at his arm, which was now turning a lovely shade of purple.  
  
"That was an undead... I think." Lyra said, pointing the decapitated head. Cecilia bent her long neck back to look at the object in question, and a chill ran down her scales. "Nasty thing, it is." She growled, her eyes holding as much repulsion for the still-active head as a dragon could muster. Without warning, she opened her mouth and let loose a stream of blue-white flame that incinerated the living corpse to ashes in a matter of seconds. Now that the undead was put down, Yukimi carefully inspected Chuu's arm. "It'll be no problem to heal. This looks like a poison-imp bite."  
  
"Gee, I never would've guessed." Chuu dryly retorted, but his eyebrows rose in consideration as the sixteen-year-old drove out the poison with her spirit energy. Their relief was short-lived; however, as a shrill scream ripped through the crisp, winter air. "Damn! You guys stay here, I'll go check it out." Yusuke said, already running over to the suspected source of the scream.  
  
The first thing the spirit detective saw was a large griffin attacking Holly from the air. The witch was in a total retreat, and was trying to summon a windshield to protect herself from the lion-eagle's sharp talons. Yusuke carefully aimed and shot his spirit gun, stunning the griffin, and the creature spiraled down into the snow and, regaining consciousness, flapped its feathered wings to get itself airborne again. This time it was joined by a second bird-beast, this one a dark brown in color, and the two once again clustered around Holly to attack. The Spirit detective was trying to get a clear shot with his spirit gun again, but the griffons stayed too close to the witch to ensure she wouldn't be caught in the blast.  
  
Yusuke was about to try and lure the rabid griffons away when a red blur shot down from the sky and rammed the two attackers away from Holly. Said witch regained balance on her broomstick and tried to get a good look at her savior, but the blur was becoming too fast to see and, even as the two students watched, was tearing the griffons apart from the mere winds that followed his furious attack. "The hell is that?" Yusuke shouted, trying to be heard above the invisible blur's roaring winds. His question was answered; however, as the words, "Tornado Fist!" punctured the air. Each fist sent a griffon flying amid the roar of the miniature whirlwinds wrapped around the redheaded demon's arms.  
  
The two winged beasts shrieked, their gold eyes widening as Jin charged at them again, turned and fled. As the griffons retreated, Jin sighed and his pupils dilated from the slivers of blue that they had been while he had fought the creatures in a berserk rage. Holly just stared at him for a moment before zooming down next to the panting windmaster, and helping steady him in the air. "S'okay, I'll be fine. Just a bit tired." Jin smiled up at her and his eyes rolled back in his head. Holly expertly caught his body on her broomstick and floated down until she gently landed next to Yusuke. "Well, I guess that takes care of that problem." He stated, and then pointed his index finger in the direction the two griffons had fled in. The attack charged up around the tip of his finger, then blasted off in a spectacular lightshow of blue spirit energy.  
  
"Was that really-" a loud squawk interrupted Holly, and the witch glanced backwards as one of the griffons exploded from the attack, scattering brown feathers unto the bloodstained snow. The bird-lion's entrails splattered across the back lawn, just falling short of the three students, and Holly continued. "Necessary..." Yusuke shrugged and they started heading back towards the rest of the group. Well, Holly flew just above Yusuke's head and Jin was slumped over the broomstick as they met up with the others.  
  
Yukimi sighed, and proceeded to heal Jin's minor wounds. However, something else besides Jin's numerous injuries was bugging her. "How come," she said, "Everyone is missing?" There was a big awkward silence, until Rogerik finally spoke up.  
  
"Probably barricaded themselves in when the undead appeared."  
  
"Either that or they're dead." Hiei stated. Lark glared at the fire demon. "Gee, what a little ray of sunshine and hope YOU are." Hiei glared at her and "Hn"-ed, but otherwise said nothing. The group continued to muse about this in silence until a loud rumble filled the air. All of them jumped a little and Holly took off on her broom. "Oh shit on toast..." She muttered, looking over the horizon.  
  
Rumbling over the lawn, hooves ripping up the snow as they charged, were four giant creatures. They each stood on six hooved legs, like those of a horse, with sleek brown fur and flaming manes. The head resembled that of a deer, but their eyes were a feral yellow teeth sharp like a carnivore's. Their mammoth antlers faced forwards, the sharp prongs ready to impale anything that got in its way. The tail was like that of a lion's, flame burning brightly at the end instead of fur. Strangely enough, a pair of leathery bat wings arched gracefully from their shoulders. If anything, they didn't look as if they were undead, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous.  
  
"What is it?" Kurama asked Cecilia, who was arching her long neck so as to better see the intruders. "No idea." She hissed, and stepped in front of the group, wings flared to make herself look bigger. "Just stay out of the way. I'll deal with them." The group skittered off to the sidelines as the first beast reached the crest of the hill and reared up, kicking its four front legs in the air. It emitted a high-pitched whinny and charged down, the other three following it. In unison, they jumped into the air and spread their wings wide, caught an updraft of cold winter wind, and soared up high above Cecilia's head. The dragon growled and lifted off, pumping her gigantic wings quickly to match speeds.  
  
The five battlers weaved in between each other, shooting long streams of flame in every direction. While two of the creatures attacked from the front and the dragon's left, one snuck up on Cecilia from the back and another from her right. They each shot a torrent of red fire into the middle of their trap, and Cecilia went spiraling down into the snow, thudded once, twice, and finally lay motionless in a pool of rapidly spreading blood.  
  
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KKC: I apologize for not updating last week, but I suffered a major brain fart, which is more commonly known as "Writer's Block". And SOMEONE was just NO help in the matter. *Glares at Grimoire*  
  
Grimoire: *nervously gulps and cringes in corner* I tried...  
  
KKC: This fic is NOT the "Grimoire action/adventure hour"!  
  
Grimoire: Well I thought the idea sounded nice...  
  
KKC: *Sighs* I give up... Anyone want to take Grim off my hands for the rest of Thanksgiving vacation? Anyone? Please?  
  
Grimoire: Oh, I'm just your "beloved" muse, aren't I? Trying to bid me off to the highest seller... *grumble grumble*  
  
KKC: Well, have a happy Thanksgiving. Oh, and don't ever put cranberry sauce and gravy on pumpkin pie unless there is more than one bathroom in the house. Trust me on this.  
  
Grimoire: *knowingly nods* ...yeah...  
  
KKC: Ciao! ^-^v 


	25. The death of a friend

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me, and Yukimi and Reon belong to Ryuu no Furui Yami.  
  
Quote of the week: "Shit happens. Sometimes its good shit, sometimes its bad shit, and sometimes its shitty shit." -Kawaii Kitsune Cub (or sometimes its piled six feet high -_-*)  
  
* the door opens and, amid the turbulent gust of wind, what looks like a five-foot, moving snowdrift comes in the door, stunning poor Yusuke.*  
  
Yusuke: o_0?!!  
  
Snowdrift: *starts shaking, and the snow falls off to reveal a very cold and very agitated... Kawaii Kitsune Cub!*  
  
KKC: I hate shoveling snow! I shoveled out three feet last night and it came back double this morning!  
  
Yusuke: o_0 uh... bummer.  
  
KKC: You have no idea! *points at Grimoire* You! Official muse! Go make the authoress a cup of hot tea!  
  
Grimoire: *meekly* yes ma'am.  
  
KKC: Now that that's taken care of, let's type! *turns on laptop and gets to work*  
  
The five battlers weaved in between each other, shooting long streams of flame in every direction. While two of the creatures attacked from the front and the dragon's left, one snuck up on Cecilia from the back and another from her right. They each shot a torrent of red fire into the middle of their trap, and Cecilia went spiraling down into the snow, thudded once, twice, and finally lay motionless in a pool of rapidly spreading blood.  
  
They just stood there and stared as the four creatures wheeled and glided overhead. What else could be done? Cecilia was most likely dead, or very close to it. As the monsters continued their whining victory song, they circled down to take their prize. The four stopped singing and ran towards the dragon's corpse, snapping at each other every so often as they giddily rushed to get the most food. One of them drew close, preparing its fangs to rip away the armor-like scales along the underside of Cecilia's long neck, and its neck plunged downwards- only to be separated from the rest of its body as the wounded dragon lunged at the monster, her own fangs bared.  
  
The other three backed away as the body of their companion stood on its six, hoofed legs for a minute before crumpling into a gory mess in the snow. Cecila, with much effort, crawled back to her talons and viciously hissed, totally ignoring the many burns and gashes along her long, sinewy body. Her wings were mangled and tattered, torn beyond repair and totally useless for flight; and one of the claws on her front right talon was split in two.  
  
"Vermin," she spat, her eyes burning with disgust of the chimera-esque creatures, "leave at once!" The trio merely watched as the dragon shuffled forwards, limping on her right fore foot, blood pouring from her wounds. The thick, red liquid lay in her wake, the pools of blood steaming in the cold air. Her milky-white eyes were just as useless as her wings, but she headed towards the beasts as easily as if she could see. Cecilia's long tail swept behind her and she held her head high, determined to go down proudly fighting.  
  
The lead monster glanced back at its allies with its yellow eyes, and then charged forwards, a flame sparking from deep inside its throat. All six hooves tore up the snow and dirt, wings outstretched to gain extra balance, and mane and tail flaming brightly. IT was even ten feet away when a gray blur whipped in front of Cecilia and the monster's wings were torn off from right above the joint. The creature looked confused at first, but continued its mad sprint - right into the path of Cecilia's energy ray. Said ray crisscrossed over the horse-like creature, and seemed to have no effect on it, until it fell apart in pieces right in front of her cracked and damaged talons, legs still trying to carry it forwards and what was left of its bat wings twitching madly.  
  
If the front lawn had resembled the site of a massacre before, then this was the battlefield of a full-blown war. Yusuke jumped up and readied his spirit gun, but Touya pulled him back down into the snow. "Touya, what are you doing? Cecilia's dying out there!"  
  
"I know... but, we can't-"  
  
" 'We can't' what? Help her? Heal her? Save her goddamn ass?! You're just going to leave her out there to die?" Yusuke asked, and Touya couldn't look in the spirit detective's face. "You know she would hate to go any other way."  
  
"Oh, I understand perfectly. While you're at it, why don't you run out there and die with her. I'm sure it would be appreciated, by not only Cecilia, but the rest of us as well-" Yusuke never got to finish his sentence; however, as he was soon on his back in the snow, the right side of his face throbbing in pain. Yukimi stood over him, holding her stinging hand, and spat, "That is enough!"  
  
Yusuke just gaped at her for a few moments, and then his attention was drawn back to Cecilia as the she-dragon was shoved onto her back by the last two monsters. They had used their long, strong antlers as a wedge and made the dragon lose her already unstable balance. Cecilia fell with a dull thud in the thick snow, and one of the beasts lunged for the exposed flesh between the large armored plates on her chest and the lighter, weaker scales on her stomach. Its fangs flashed once, and then its teeth were rending Cecilia's innards, while she was still alive and very much conscious to feel the pain. She screamed out in agony, a shrill screech that reached even the higher notes the human can't hear, and lashed out with her front talons.  
  
The horse monster leapt back, avoiding her claws with ease. Its companion was not as lucky, and received a jagged, deep gash on its furred side from her cracked claw, then limped over to the sidelines for the dragon to die. "Oh, God..." Lark mumbled, not able to take her eyes off as Cecilia thrashed hopelessly around, her broken wings making it almost impossible to get up from her position on her back. The monster lunged forwards again, and Cecilia kicked out with her back legs, the thickly muscled limbs catching the creature in the gut and sending it flying, its back snapped in two.  
  
The injured monster didn't even glance at the damage the dragon had caused to its companion before flying up high and preparing for an aerial nose- dive attack. Cecilia closed her white, sightless eyes, and waited for the final strike. She was too tired to fight now... too tired to live. The monster was coming closer, dropping like a stone; she could sense its energy, a mix of human Reiki and demon Youki. It couldn't be an undead; it wasn't demon, nor animal. Whatever it was, she hadn't ever sensed anything like it in her thousand plus years of life.  
  
Yusuke winced, expecting the black, flaming meteor to end Cecilia's life right then and there. But instead of the sickening crunch he had been prepared to hear, there was a loud boom, like that of an explosion, and the bat-winged, six-legged horse climbed up in the air. A fairly small projectile barely skirted the monster's flame-ended lion's tail and its gleaming hooves, driving the creature up into the sky. Cecilia seemed to catch her second wind then and, sensing an opportunity, blew her white-blue flame straight upwards, catching the winged monster in the swirling torrent of dragon fire.  
  
Almost comically, the entire group peeked out over the snowdrift, towards the explosion's source, and standing there in the snow, black scarf nearly covering his smug grin, was Suzuka. The demon inventor had what seemed to be... a bazooka (?!) slung across one shoulder and was nonchalantly watching as the six-legged horse/ monster/ thingamajig burned to a crisp in Cecilia's amazing display of firepower.  
  
"Did I miss much?" The inventor asked, dropping the large, and thankfully unloaded, bazooka by his feet. His question went unanswered, since the girls stampeded over him in order to run to Cecilia's side. The dragon tried to get to her feet, but collapsed back into the snow with a groan of pain. "Calm down, Cecila. We'll heal you and you'll be back on your feet in no time!" Holly chirped, trying her best to be cheerful and optimistic despite the predicament. The dragon rolled one milky eye towards her and sarcastically hissed, "Please, don't try and cheer me up. Death isn't such a bad thing you know."  
  
"But your unhatched child!" the witch protested, but Cecilia threateningly growled at her. Holly "eep"-ed and scuttled away from the mutilated dragon, who once again groaned in pain. The low groan heightened in pitch until it became a screaming whine, and blood poured forth from her open jaws. Yukimi panicked and poured her spirit energy into the dragon, stopping the blood and closing some of her wounds with the healing energies. Cecilia stopped coughing up blood and rolled onto her armored stomach, apparently healed for the time being. "Yukimi, I... I think you actually healed her completely," Lark said, her gray-blue eyes wide in disbelief. "No, she couldn't of." Lyra answered, staring at the dragon with the same expression as her sister.  
  
"Why not, little miss sunshine?" Lark glared at Lyra, but a furious spasm from Cecilia immediately shifted her attention. "She's right," Yukimi said, looking with concern at the struggling she-dragon. Cecilia arched her long neck and lifted one cracked claw to her bloody breast, slicing apart the armor-like scales and digging in her flesh with two of her claws. "Cecilia, stop that!" Holly lunged forwards and tried to stop the dragon's attempt at suicide. Cecilia flung the witch away with one flick of the claw, catching the guys' attention as Holly fell towards the bloodstained snow.  
  
Jin, apparently conscious and active again, (with a little help from a revival potion Suzuka was handily carrying around. Convenient, huh?) speedily zoomed over the snow and caught Holly before she landed and helped her to her feet.  
  
"'Ey, you okay Holly?"  
  
"I'm fine, it's Cecilia we should be worried about." The windmaster's attention was brought to where said dragon was seriously hastening her own death. "Oi! Cecilia, what in blazes are you doing?" Cecilia; however, ignored him and continued carving into her chest, finally pulling out a familiar ray egg-shaped object from between the thick scales.  
  
The travelers looked at the dragon's egg in awe for a few moments, Jin muttering under his breath in Gaelic, which would have probably been translated to something along the lines of. "Holy Shit." The four-pronged sac continued its familiar pulsing, luminescent glow while she held it gingerly in her taloned forepaw. Cecilia white eyes were slitted, her body once again going into convulsions, but she still managed to hold the egg without dropping it.  
  
But Yukimi's previous healing seemed to be in vain, as the dragon once again started to cough up blood, though it wasn't as bad as before. "Take it, children. I know I told you to watch over it when my child hatched, but there's no other way now-" Another spasm from Cecilia and she coughed up yet more blood. The blind dragon gently placed the egg in Lyra's hands, whom had rushed over to try and help, and collapsed. Her constant shaking stopped, and Cecilia let out one long, low whine before her blind eyes rolled back and her long neck and head hit the snow with a loud thud. And thus, Cecilia lay in repose; half of her covered in snow, her mangled wings sticking up in the air at an unnatural angle, and the smoking remains of the last of her killers buried in the snow not more than fifty yards away.  
  
All was silent; it seemed wrong to talk during such a scene. Lyra turned her head down from the giant corpse and gazed at the pulsating egg. The pale light lit up her features and she grabbed Suzuka's scarf from right off of his neck, then protectively wrapped the egg in the warm black fleece. "So that's what she did with the egg... hid it in her own body to protect it..." Kurama mumbled, his green eyes full of misery from the death of their, if short-lived, ally.  
  
"I suppose so, but there's no time to be mourning over her death now. I managed to sneak past the monster attacking Safehaven." Suzuka put his hand on Lyra's shoulder, a weak comforting gesture, and sympathetically looked at her.  
  
"Just one monster? That's all?" Shishiwakamaru snorted, but Suzuka's reply was dead serious. "Yeah, just one."  
  
"Then what is this monster?"  
  
"Sleipnir, the legendary horse of the Gods."  
  
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KKC: About Sleipnir, he is a legendary eight-legged horse in Norse Mythology. Typically said to be fast as the wind and untamable, just what is he doing attacking the school? Ah, the possibilities...  
  
Yusuke: Just what do you think you're doing, pitting us against a God?!  
  
KKC: Sleipnir isn't a God, he's a servant of the Gods. And he's just adorable! *Hugs a twenty-foot-tall, eight-legged horse. He's all black, with a golden bridle and big gold eyes.*  
  
Sleipnir: *Whinnies and nuzzles KKC's hair*  
  
Grimoire: *Comes back with hot tea* 0____0 Just when you think you've seen everything...  
  
KKC: *Continues hugging Sleipnir* ^_^ Cutie!  
  
Yusuke: The authoress will appreciate Reviews, and the star of this fic will appreciate the phone numbers of pretty girls.  
  
KKC: Yusuke, no using my fanfictions as a way to get a free date! *Whispers something in Sleipnir's ear*  
  
Sleipnir: *Kicks Yusuke in the rear, sending the spirit detective flying through the wall.* *whinnies and snorts, and gets a sugar cube for a job well done.*  
  
KKC: Now if I could just convince him to plow the roads. Don't suppose ol' Sleipnir here will give me a ride to school, d'ya?  
  
Yusuke: *from rubble* Ow... nope...  
  
KKC: *shrugs* Oh well. Ciao! ^-^ 


	26. Hey, look, a diversion!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Yukimi and Reon (who *will* be showing up this fic) belong to Ryuu no Furui Yami. Oh, and Sleipnir belongs to... he belongs to... gah! I don't know! Ask him!  
  
Sleipnir: *gives KKC a strange look* ?  
  
Grimoire: *looks up from his jigsaw puzzle* Yep... the snow has finally gotten to her.  
  
KKC: *sitting on her bed, with her laptop precariously balanced on her knees* Well, at least I'm doing something constructive while I have two days off of school from all the snow.  
  
Grimoire: *turning back to puzzle* Yes, I suppose typing is better than trying to ice-skate in your dad's pool... *he growls, and his tail angrily swishes back and forth* These pieces won't fit!  
  
KKC: Maybe they would if you had opposable thumbs and color vision. *Smugly grins*  
  
Grimoire: -_-* Shut up and type, wench. *Continues trying to fit the pieces together.*  
  
KKC: *chucks pillow at Grim* Jerk.  
  
Quote of the week: "Here's one to me, and one to you; but since you're not here, here's two to me!" -unknown, a drinking limerick  
  
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"Just one monster? That's all?" Shishiwakamaru snorted, but Suzuka's reply was dead serious. "Yeah, just one."  
  
"Then what is this monster?"  
  
"Sleipnir, the legendary horse of the Gods."  
  
The entire group just stood there in silence while the wind kicked up the snow and stung their eyes. Gods. They were dealing with gods. As if undead minions and zombies weren't enough trouble, the immortals had decided to take place in this little, if dangerous, game. Oh rapture.  
  
"Well, this sucks beyond all the known boundaries of suckiness, doesn't it?" Rinku muttered, breaking the silence. For once, no one contradicted him on his choice of language - truer words couldn't have been spoken. Rogerik shouldered his bag, started walking northeast, and said, "Well, we can't just hang around here all day, then."  
  
"We can't just leave Cecilia out here, it wouldn't be right." Kuwabara indignantly shouted. The blond thief continued walking away from the group, totally ignoring his roommates. Holly loaded her levitating broomstick with the girls' bags and, after letting Reon out of his cat carrier, hopped on. "I hate to admit it, but he's right. Cecilia might be dead, but we can't let the same thing happen to any of the other students. We're the only ones that could possibly drive off Sleipnir."  
  
"I suppose so..." Yukimi sighed, scratching the Reon underneath his chin. Lark just stood there, staring at the blood-soaked snow, totally unaware of the world around her. "Hey, Lark, come on." The black-haired teen jumped a little at her sister's voice, but faked a smile and slipped her messenger bag over her head and onto the opposite shoulder. "Yeah..."  
  
...And so, they gathered up their stuff and followed Rogerik into the blinding snow towards Safehaven, not at all ready to face what the Gods had thrown in their path.  
  
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"Hey, Chrysanthemum, when is Suzuka gonna get back?" The older cat demon looked down at the five-year-old human. "He'll be back soon, Lila."  
  
"The horsie isn't gonna get him, right?"  
  
"No, Sleipnir won't get him."  
  
"Yeah! He hath that really big gun, remember?" Another kindergartener, Conner Richardson, did an impersonation of shooting down the giant horse creature outside, which was pretty accurate except for his lisp. Chrysanthemum sweatdropped, but smiled and nodded nevertheless. "Er... yeah." Quickly, she checked to make sure Lyonell, her twin, was doing okay with his own group of children. That is, she was making sure Fuka, Gabrielle, and Brittany weren't giving the sleeping cat demon a "makeover". To her relief, the three young students, two demons and a human, were curled up next to their chaperone, fast asleep. Sighing, Chrysanthemum turned back to her own gaggle of kids.  
  
"Lyonell, Lyonell..." he groggily opened one eye, wishing the high-pitched voice would just stop calling his name. Looking up, he saw the face of eight-year-old Zachary. Deciding it would better to see what the problem was rather than try and sleep with the kid's annoying voice reverberating through his sensitive cats' ears, he yawned and stretched, then turned to face the angry voice of the half-fairy, half-human student.  
  
"What is it?" Lyonell grumpily asked, still half asleep.  
  
"Those kids over there called me a fairy!"  
  
Ah, another case of name-calling. How tedious. Sighing, he cracked his neck and flexed his claws. "So what did you do?"  
  
"I hit them with my purse!"  
  
Lyonell, in the middle of a rather long yawn, choked for a second. The younger student patiently waited for his chaperone to stop hacking and coughing, and started to count the number of cracks in the flagstone floor to pass the time. He was up to eighty-seven by the time the elder cat demon fully regained his posture.  
  
"Kids these days..." Lyonell muttered to himself, then turned to Zachary, fake smile plastered on his face. "Ah, you know what? Why don't you ask Chrysanthemum to help you?"  
  
"Why not you?"  
  
"I'm not really good at those types of situations, ya know?" Silence, then...  
  
"Gee, you're a sucky chaperone." Zachary walked away from Lyonell, whose fake smile was quickly turning into a grimace. The cat demon grumbled something about disrespectful children, then turned back onto his side and fell back asleep.  
  
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"So, how do we know when we've reached this Safehaven place?" Kuwabara shouted.  
  
"Because there'll be a giant horse outside, idiot!" Shishiwakamaru yelled back. The redhead chose to ignore the samurai's latter comment and tried his best to cover up for his earlier brain fart. "I knew that. Just testing ya." His only reply was a middle finger from Shishi and a grumbled "Hmph!"  
  
Yusuke looked up to the gray sky, blinking snowflakes out of his brown eyes. "Jin, you see anything yet?"  
  
"Nope." The windmaster suddenly appeared by Yusuke's left shoulder, startling the spirit detective. "Crud! How'd you do that?" Jin shrugged and floated over the Japanese teen's head. "Ya' have t'be quiet. How else?"  
  
"Are you trying to imply something?"  
  
"Me? Nah... But I've never seen you this quiet before. Somethin' on your mind?" Yusuke stopped walking and looked up at the windmaster. "I just have a bad feeling about all this."  
  
Jin nodded in agreement, then cocked his head as if listening to something from far off in the distance. His elfin ears were pricked up, and his normally cheerful blue eyes were clouded in worry. "What is it?"  
  
Jin didn't answer, and instead floated up higher. When he was above the dark gray clouds, he looked over his surroundings. The cold was almost unbearable up there, and the snow down below blocked out what little of the ground could be seen from between the clouds. It wasn't long before Holly appeared out of the mist, her jacket tightly closed around her shivering body and Kyuro curled upon her shoulders. "Jin, what is it?"  
  
"Someone's coming..." The windmaster strained his ears even more to hear the faint noises, and felt a slight thud against his chest. He brought up his hands to capture the small projectile, and then held it up to eye-level to get a better look. In his hands was a tiny sparrow, with what seemed to be a strip of white cloth trailing from one wing. It chirped once, and hastily pecked him on the palm as if to remind the much larger demon just who he was. "Ow! He bit me, the little bastard!"  
  
"Let me see that... Kyuro, no!" The wind witch lunged forwards after the black cat familiar, who leaped the six-foot gap between the two wind- manipulators in order to reach the tired bird. Jin managed to catch the cat by the scruff of the neck with one hand, and keep the sparrow out of reach with the other. Holly nudged her broom closer and scooped the bird out of Jin's hands, watching as Kyuro yowled obscenities at them.  
  
"You guys are evil! Eeeeeeeeeevviiiiiiiilll! I just want something to eat!"  
  
"Zip it, furball." Jin shot back, trying his best to keep the familiar's flailing limbs and claws away from his skin. Kyuro seemed to get the hint from the windmaster's tone of voice and promptly shut up, hanging limply from Jin's grasp.  
  
The sparrow was busily hopping around on Holly's finger, and the witch was hard-pressed to listen to its chirped message. "Er... Jin? I don't have a clue what he's saying." Windmaster, Familiar, and even the sparrow sweatdropped. Jin handed Kyuro to Holly and took the sparrow from her finger. "Okay, tell me what's happened."  
  
The sparrow started twittering madly once again, hopping all over Jin as he delivered his news, much to the shinobi's agitation. "Well, what did her say?" Holly asked, leaning over Jin's shoulder. Jin sighed and replied, looking up at the tiny bird that was now perched on his pearl-white horn. "Well, I didn't get much from him, but he said something about a ring in the snow."  
  
"Oh, that's really helpful."  
  
The bird angrily chirped yet again, and Jin corrected himself. "Scratch that. A really big ring with a chain coming out of it." Holly looked as if an idea had struck, and she held Kyuro back as the rescued sparrow landed on the handle of her broomstick.  
  
"I think I know what he means. Jin, you go tell the others what's going on, I'll go ahead."  
  
"But what-" Holly sped off, praying mist in the demon's direction. Grumbling, he yelled over the wind, "Agh, ferget it! I give up!"  
  
Jin was met with another feathered friend on the way back down towards the group. Shooing Salvatore away from his face, the windmaster asked, "Can't I get a bit of privacy around here?"  
  
"Jin, it's a school. Privacy is nearly unheard of here." Suzuka stated, glad the energetic lovebird wasn't getting itself tangled in his hair at the moment. Jin winced as the parrot finally pried its little claws loose from his wild red mess, and handed Salvatore back to his owner. "Where's Holly?" Lark asked, shedding her happy mask in worry over her friend.  
  
"She followed this bird. They're looking for a ring in the snow, and it has a chain coming out of it." More blank stares, and Jin sighed. "I think she thinks it might be a portal or something of the like."  
  
"Oh, that makes perfect sense." Shishi grumbled, shivering as the wind once again whipped over the snow-covered campus. "It would." Kurama murmured, and looked up suddenly at Kuwabara, Rinku, and Chuu's puzzled looks. Nervously chuckling, he tried to make it a bit clearer for them. "Uh, Sleipnir probably came from a portal in order to waste the least energy." Rinku nodded, getting a bit sooner than his other companions.  
  
"So where is it?" Touya questioned Jin, who was floating Indian-style above the ground.  
  
"Erm... she went in the same direction we're traveling so..."  
  
"She's going north, then."  
  
"Yeah." Jin nodded; glad the ice-master had taken hold of the reins of the conversation. Lyra re-adjusted the strap of her messenger bag and continued trudging through the snow; Salvatore huddled underneath her hair. "We better get going. Come on you guys."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
25 minutes later...  
  
"Hey, Lyonell! Come take a look at this!" The younger student passed the pair of binoculars to the blond cat, not that they really helped much in the blinding snow. He scanned past the broken tree stumps, the ebony form of the pawing Sleipnir, and almost the fuzzy, red, blob that stood out so starkly from the glistening white. Whipping back to the fuzzy red blob, Lyonell sharpened the focus on the binoculars enough to make out his teacher and friends, as well as a few strangers. Tossing the binoculars over his shoulder, which the younger student fumbled to catch, he grabbed his jacket from a hook by one of the Safehaven's many hidden doors and headed outside into the crisp, cold, air.  
  
The cat demon snuck past the monstrous horse, taking the best of care not to invoke the servant's attention. Sleipnir continued pawing outside the main door, guarding the way out. Lyonell took refuge underneath a large shrub; slinking underneath the green needles, and looking in all directions for enemies - every direction, that is, except for right ahead. He crashed right into another body and, fearing the sharp hooves of Sleipnir, lashed out with his claws.  
  
"Ow! Idiot, stop that!" Rogerik fell back into the snow, next to his duffel bag. The cat blinked his green eyes to clear his blurred vision, and then asked, "Rogerik?"  
  
"Quiet!" The thief covered Lyonell's mouth for a second, blocking off any noise whatsoever, and tried to make himself look as small as possible as the black horse turned one gold eye on the shrub, dim sunlight reflecting off of the golden bridle and dull iron chain that snaked into the distance. Both boys stayed quiet as the giant animal peered through the evergreen bushes, and sighed in relief as Sleipnir turned away.  
  
"Thank God - ow!" Lyonell clapped one paw to his golden-furred cat ear, and was immediately bitten again. Wincing, he grabbed the ear-nipper and held it out to see. "Salvatore, what are you doing here?" Asked the cat, carefully keeping the lovebird's sharp beak out of reach of his fingers. Rogerik took Salvatore from Lyonell's grasp and let the bird perch on his finger before giving instructions to the smug parrot. "Fly back to Lyra and tell her we'll provide a distraction while they try and drive of Sleipnir. Got that?"  
  
The brightly colored bird "Queek!"-ed an agreement and stretched his green wings before lifting off and skimming over the snow in the direction of the oncoming group of travelers. Luckily, the agitated Sleipnir didn't notice the bird; either that, or he didn't care. "Hey, Rogerik, do you really think Sleipnir will fall for a distraction we set up? Er... Rogerik? Dude?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Now where the hell did that coward go?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Holly, do you really know what you're doing?" The small familiar was precariously perched on the end of the broomstick handle, looking over the wind witch's shoulder as she shifted through the snow. "No, not really. Kyuro, do you see a ring around here?"  
  
"Uh, how big a ring are you talking about?"  
  
Holly sighed and her shoulder's slumped. "Uh, I don't know." Kyuro rolled his bright green eyes and hissed in exasperation.  
  
"Oh, don't give me that, cat."  
  
"Then look harder!" Kyuro jumped down from his levitating perch, then tripped and fell face-first into the powdery snow. For half a minute, the only part of the cat to be seen was his silky tail, which was whipping around as Kyuro furiously tried to regain his balance. Holly picked the small familiar up, ignoring the tinkling noise that came from the bell around his neck as Kyuro shook the white snow from his glossy fur.  
  
A faint glimmer caught the fourteen-year-old's eye from amidst the glittering snow, and she bent down again to see what it was. Underneath the snow was a small silver ring, like that which one wore upon their finger. As soon as Holly touched it; however, a blinding flash illuminated the area and before her hummed a massive circle of shining light, the silver rim barely recognizable as she squinted her hazel eyes. From the middle of the magnificent portal protruded a dull chain - the same one that connected Sleipnir to this world - each link three or four inches thick.  
  
Both witch and familiar squinted their eyes at the brilliant spectacle.  
  
"... I think we found the ring."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Now what do we do?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"Maybe we should get Suzuka or another teacher..?"  
  
"Brilliant plan, Holly. You go do that."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Suzuka! Hey, Suzuka!" the witch ducked underneath a low tree branch and, in her rush to get help, almost flew right into Chuu. The much taller demon swore and ducked, and Holly continued her mad dash - straight into Jin. Both wind manipulators went down, making humanoid-shaped craters in the snow, and Yukimi bent to down to help them up. "Holly, what's wrong?" the dragon specialist asked, pulling the witch to her feet. Jin groaned, got up, and slowly stumbled back, bumping his head on Holly's broomstick, which was obediently floating in place for its master.  
  
"Kyuro and I found the ring." Yukimi cocked her head, and was about to ask just what this ring was, when Jin interrupted her. "And?"  
  
"I have no clue what to do."  
  
"I think I might have an idea." Yukimi, Jin, Holly, and Chuu jumped at the quiet voice, but Jin recognized the speaker almost at once. Sighing, the windmaster started to levitate in the air, and called out, "Okay, Rogerik. Tell us your grand plan."  
  
The smug psychic stepped out from behind a tree, and leaned against its bark. "Sleipnir is being held in our world against his will; it's easy to see by the way he's acting."  
  
"Either that or he's really not a Christmas enthusiast." Yukimi muttered, choosing to ignore Rogerik's reproachful glare.  
  
"Anyways, we need to sever the bond that's tying him here and he'll disappear from our plane of existence."  
  
"In plain ol' English, if ya don't mind, mate." Chuu grunted, and Rogerik complied.  
  
"He'll go back home. Poof - and Sleipnir's gone."  
  
"You could have said that in the first place, you know." Jin pointed out, shaking the pure-white snow out of his hair. Rogerik glared again, and snapped, "Well, excuse me for making it a bit clearer."  
  
Before Jin and Rogerik could make things any worse, Lark butted in. "So we just need to break this chain, huh? No problem." She maliciously grinned as a sphere of clear water appeared in her palm, before she shot it out at the dull links from a few yards away. The iron floated above the snow and glowed blue for a few seconds before falling back to the ground with a loud hiss.  
  
"... Er, I meant for that to happen! Yeah, that's it..." The raven-haired girl lost her evil grin and replaced it with an embarrassed one. Jin floated over, bent down and went to touch the chain, but drew his hand back with a startled yelp as the chain glowed cherry red and hissed from the incredible heat.  
  
Suzuka walked over, distracted by the windmaster's high-pitched voice, and observed the metal links himself. "Rogerik," He began, "The links were much smaller, in order to be of no nuisance to Sleipnir, am I right?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"So we're going to have to break the chain there... hm... This is going to be tough." The inventor leaned back, seriously in thought. Sighing, he stood up and turned to his companions. "Anyone want to be living bait?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lyonell was still huddled underneath the shrubbery, curled up into a fairly small ball in order to conserve heat. The cat was also still contemplating whether or not the eight-legged horse would fall asleep for the first time in three days. All was quiet, except for Sleipnir's constant fidgeting, when a gloomy voice penetrated his thoughts.  
  
'Lyonell, wake up.'  
  
'Hiei..?' Lyonell stumbled over the name in his head, but finally connected the voice and name to a person. 'Hiei, what's taking you so long?'  
  
'I need to get in close to the horse, which means I need a distraction.'  
  
So that was what the vertically challenged pyromaniac was up to... a favor was needed. Inwardly sighing, Lyonell uncurled himself from his snow-free spot and stretched his flexible spine. 'Fine, I'll think of something. Just be fast.'  
  
Lyonell shook the snow from his fur and crouched on his haunches, prepared for a signal from the other group. Not more than a second later, Hiei's katana was flung into the snow, pinning the chain down and preventing Sleipnir's escape. In a desperate rush, Lyonell ran out and whipped a snowball at the giant horse's head. The animal turned it head towards him, and Lyonell blurted out the first thing that came to his head, hoping it would work.  
  
"Hey, look, a diversion!"  
  
The cat pointed one clawed finger towards the middle of nowhere and Sleipnir swung his beautifully sculpted head towards the spot, ears pricked. Hiei took his chance and dashed forwards, his right arm covered in flame, and grabbed at the more delicate section of chain near the horse's muzzle, snapping it upon impact. The chain whipped around the horse's neck and wound itself around Hiei's wrist. The dull metal snapped taut, and Hiei was yanked back, his wrist twisted at an unnatural angle.  
  
Seemingly noticing his newfound freedom, the eight-legged stallion reared up and charged for the portal, pulling out the katana, his old restraint dangling behind him, with Hiei also tangled up in the chain. With a tremendous leap, Sleipnir soared through the silver ring, and Hiei, his body dangling in the air on the other side of the portal, grabbed the edge of the portal with one hand. Lyonell ran over and stretched over the fire demon, untangling the jerking chain, and then pulling Hiei back through the silver ring. The gate flashed once, then fell back to the snow, a finger- sized ring once more. The cat demon tried to pick it up between his claws, but it shattered and dispersed into a hundred tiny shards to be dispersed among the Christmas Eve winds.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An hour later, Lyra, Lark, Holly, Rogerik, Jin, and the four tantei stood outside their dorm. The purple cottage had never looked so much like home, and they wearily stumbled inside. Most of the group flopped down on an armchair, the sofa, or the couch (Hiei didn't quite flop down, as his right wrist had been horribly twisted and broken, and was now in a splint until April.), except for Yusuke and Lark, who both raced for the upstairs bathroom to use the shower. The spirit detective got a handhold on the doorframe, but was blasted back by a torrent of cold water. Lark, the spirit energy fading from her hand, raced ahead and locked the door behind her, making sure to put up an energy barrier so Yusuke couldn't break through.  
  
"Hey! I called dibs on the shower first!" He complained, pounded on the door with her fist. From behind the wooden door, Lark retorted, "Then how come I'm in the bathroom and you're outside on your ass!"  
  
Yusuke grumbled, but didn't attack the door or try to force his way in. Instead, he stomped downstairs, past his curious roommates, and into the first-floor bathroom. Smirking, He flushed the toilet, turned on the cold water in the vanity sink, and then, as he was stomping back to the den, turned on the kitchen faucet to pour cold water full-blast into the sink. All eight of them cringed as Lark screamed in pain from the upstairs shower, and Holly turned to the smug teen.  
  
"How old are you?" she asked.  
  
"Fifteen going on seven." Yusuke smirked and leaned against the fireplace, listening to Lark's scream in glee. Not two minutes later, Lark stormed down, fully dressed and mad as Hell. "Urameshi..." The younger girl growled, and Yusuke "eep"-ed and skittered away into the kitchen, dodging the many pots and pans thrown at him.  
  
The rest of the students were silent as Lark chased Yusuke from room to room, and Kurama sighed. It was good to be home, as noisy as it was, and nothing could ever change that.  
  
"SPIRIT GUN!"  
  
A loud explosion rocked the house, and they all dived for cover as Yusuke shot his spirit gun in order to ward off Lark, who yelped, "The hell? That's not a gun, that's a goddamn cannon!"  
  
Yessiree...nothing like home. But, such was all just a part of the soundtrack of his life.  
  
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KKC: Yep, not so bad if I say so myself! By the way, thanks to Ryu-sama, Kia (Kaeru Soyokaze), and Rurui no Furui Yami for reviewing. I hear my English teacher may join my list of reviewers, too. Scary, ne?  
  
Jin: *watching Grimoire struggle with puzzle* So what did 'ya call us here for?  
  
*All the tantei, as well as Yukina, Botan, Jin, Touya, Chuu, Rinku, Shishiwakamaru, Koenma, Fangirlitis, Chris, and Keiko are gathered in KKC's bedroom*  
  
KKC: Er... where's Genkai?  
  
Yusuke: Decided not to come.  
  
KKC: Oh... Well, I called you are here because I'm sure you're all aware of my Christmas fic coming up, right?  
  
Chris: Yeah... You only totally ignored me this Thursday typing it up.  
  
KKC: ^ ^;; Yes, well, I've decided to do secret Santa's this year in order to cause as little impact on your wallets as I possibly can.  
  
Yukina: That is very nice of you, KKC-chan. But, what is a "secret Santa"?  
  
Fangirlitis: *gapes at Yukina* You've never done a secret Santa?  
  
Yukina: *shakes her head* oh, no I haven't Fangirlitis-chan.  
  
Fangirlitis: How do I explain this... you pick a slip from my sister's stupid-looking bucket hat-  
  
KKC: Hey! It's made out of Angora! It's hard to find Angora nowadays... Besides, you wanted to borrow it yesterday.  
  
Fangirlitis: -Yes, whatever. Anyways, you pick a slip, and whoever's name is on the slip, you buy a present for them and give it to them at the Christmas party. Make sense?  
  
Yukina: ^-^ Yes, it does. Arigatou!  
  
Fangirlitis: No problem. I'll go first! *Picks slip* Oh, you rigged this, didn't you, KKC?  
  
KKC: Nah, I'm above that. Who's next? *Holds hat out to the Yu Yu Hakusho cast* Come on... you're all going to have to pick one sooner or later, whether it fits into this chapter or not.  
  
*Cue collective groan from YYH cast*  
  
KKC: Hm? No takers? Guess I'll have to pester you all week, then. Please review folks. and until next chapter, Ciao! 


	27. Sure doesn't feel like Christmas time

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't belong to me (which kinda explains why I'm not a multi-millionare).  
  
Quote of the week: "Save the horses; ride the cowboys!" -Krystal  
  
KKC: *sighs* Sorry 'bout the late update, guys. How long has it been..? *flips through calendar* O.O!! A month?! Crap!  
  
Grimoire: What did I tell you? Huh? Huh?!  
  
KKC: Wasn't my fault! We've been trying to move for the last three weeks!  
  
Grimoire: Then why are you just -now- updating?  
  
KKC: Not only was I sick and stressed for time, but my sister accidentally deleted all my Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic files from my laptop hard-drive. Figures that I finally finish editing my earlier chapters and write chapter 27, and my junk gets erased.  
  
Grimoire: *taps foot. Er... paw* Still not a good explanation.  
  
KKC: So shoot me!  
  
Grimoire: ...I think I just might.  
  
KKC: o.0 *nervously chuckles* Now, Grim, don't be so hasty... *slowly backs away from murderous muse*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
If it wasn't for the freshly fallen snow, one might never be able to tell what had happened at the academy just a scant few hours ago. But no snow could possibly cover this mess; the bloody carcass of a giant animal rose from the shimmering lawn, wings bent and broken at an awkward angle, the tattered membranes and exposed bone rising into the gray sky like the masts of a ghost ship. The blood had flowed from her veins, blood that was once fueled with the raging passion of battle, and frozen into one giant sheet of ice.  
  
But, this is a humor fic, not an angst-fest, so let's all re-focus our attention away from the giant corpse on the front lawn, hm? Good.  
  
Despite the gloomy scene outside the main office, all was cheerful inside the Reiki-tantei's dorm. The tree was merrily decorated, fresh cinnamon buns sat on the table, still steaming with heat from the oven, and a disassembled skeleton lay sprawled in front of the fireplace, where a regular cluster of stockings with various names hung from. Now where were the inhabitants of the dorm, you might ask? Doing what any sane person would do on the day following a battle with Sleipnir, legendary horse of the gods: sleeping.  
  
Despite their blissful unconsciousness, many of you know by now that nothing so peaceful ever lasts long in such a household. Sooner or later, something had to give. That something came in the form of a small black cat. Kyuro, trouble-making creature he was, could only barely keep from attacking the little sparrow, the same one Holly and Jin had taken care of, settled on top of the tree. Such an act would surely land him in a heap of trouble; especially if the tree itself fell - that is, if he didn't have a proper alibi.  
  
And there sat his alibi, green firefly-eyes dimmed, limbs splayed out, and sleeping in front of the unlit hearth. Cautiously, the bound familiar tiptoed over to Bones, then rapped one claw on the side of the dog's skull. The hollow sound seemed dangerously loud in the quiet house, but the flickering green lights that served as the skeleton's eyes burst into life, and Bones looked up at Kyuro.  
  
"Hey, Bones, you wanna play a game?" At first the dog cocked his head, confused about the situation. Kyuro, play with him? It seemed a bit fishy, but, well, okay! Bones enthusiastically nodded his head, jaw bones clacking together and his tail wildly wagging - which looked pretty strange, considering it was separated from his spine at the moment and laying on the rug three feet away. "Good. Now, you see that shiny red ball?" The black cat jerked his head at a red ornament, one that was hanging on a branch halfway up the tree. The undead dog turned his glowing eyes to the ornament and, again, nodded.  
  
Kyuro could barely keep a straight face. This was too easy - which was exactly what he was looking for: entertainment with minimal effort. Clearing his throat, he exacted his challenge. "If you can go get that ball and bring it back to me in less than thirty seconds, I'll give you a special prize. Are you ready?"  
  
Another nod came from the dog, as he pieced himself back together in seconds. Kyuro glanced at the clock, waiting until the second hand reached the twelve, then yelped out, "GO!"  
  
Bones leaped forwards, making it across the ten feet of floor space in just two seconds, and stared up. God, that tree was big. But, such a thought didn't register in Bones' doggy mind, and he jumped straight up, his jaws snapping shut on the Christmas bulb, which shattered under the pressure. The skeleton's eyes flared brightly for a second, probably in surprise. Balls weren't supposed to break like that. (People, do yourself a favor and just look at that last line from a dog's point of view, will ya?)  
  
Despite the fact that the targeted ornament had broken, Bones was even more surprised to see the tree tip over when he crashed into it. His shock turned to horror as it came crashing down, the dog going down with it. The lights blinked out, and many of the bulbs shattered; Bones had his jaws open wide in a silent yelp before the impact separated every bone in his frame.  
  
Barely a second passed before the French doors leading to Rachel and Erika's room burst open, and the younger teacher, angry as hell and tired to boot, stormed out. It took a minute or two for Rachel to take in what lay before her, as Bones reassembled himself and tried to sneak out from the living room, tinsel and Christmas bulbs hooked onto his ribs and spine, and a plastic angel ornament looped onto the end of his bony tail.  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" Rachel coolly stated, grabbing the broom in one hand and preparing a weak spiritual attack with the other. Bones' eyes, if possible, widened at the sight of the enraged teacher, who slowly crossed the living room floor towards him, aura aflame and arm twitching as if wanting to hit the undead dog with the metal broomstick right then and there. Underneath the armchair, Kyuro cringed with each crash of pots and pans as Rachel and Bones waged their battle in the kitchen. "Well, can't say I envy him." Sullenly, the cat familiar noticed that the little sparrow he had been hungrily eyeing had flown down the slightly ajar basement door.  
  
In barely a minute, Jin stumbled up, still yawning and trying to shoo away the tiny bird that flitted about his head. Stepping into the kitchen, Jin heard a crash; blearily blinking his bright blue eyes as he watched Rachel grab Bones by the dog's leather collar - trying to hold the poor skeleton down - and just stood there and stared while the little sparrow perched on the pearly horn that sprouted from his forehead. The windmaster could only watch, mouth slightly agape, until he finally seemed to awaken to the world of consciousness.  
  
"The hell you doin'?! It's barely seven in the mornin'!"  
  
Rachel and Bones ceased their struggle on the linoleum floor long enough for pretty much the rest of their charges to come downstairs. So as not to look suspicious or ruin her reputation, the younger teacher quickly released her hold on Kuwabara's pet and brushed the dust from her plain nightgown. "Yes, well, move on. Come on, Jin, out to the living room." Shooting a nasty glare back at the dog, Rachel silently mouthed, "You too," and summoned up enough spirit energy to move the tree back into place and restore the shattered lights and Christmas bulbs. Whip-like tail between his bony legs, the dog turned his green firefly-eyes downward and meekly followed.  
  
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But no matter how happy Christmas might have seemed, despite the fact that it passed so quickly, that abandoned cadaver still laid on the front lawn. Students took the long way to the opposite side of campus rather than cross near the dragon's large corpse (could you really blame them?), and those who lived in town snuck in to see whether the rumors were true. How could you disbelieve such stories; however, when the proof was not only floating in a tank located in Lyra's third-floor bedroom, where it would be safe from thieves and predators, but also lay sprawled in magnificent repose right in front of the office's marble steps and brick structure.  
  
So, the day of Cecilia's funeral finally came, and was it astonishing. Set by a sea-side cliff, hundreds of people came to pay their respects - such an event rarely happened - as Givanni and the head priestess from the Temple of the Goddess led in praying for the distinguished female dragon's soul to find eternal peace and happiness in the afterlife. For all its grandness and flowery speeches, something worried Michealangelo.  
  
Givanni rushed through the prayers and ceremonies, sometimes skipping an important section altogether, and neatly lowered the corpse into the deep earth using his spirit energy, before returning the dirt and placing a tree seedling on top of the grave - where it would eventually grow and entangle the body in it's roots. And through all this, the necromancer watched from the office of the headmaster. After all, no matter what their intentions, no necromancer was ever allowed at a funeral - it seemed defiling to invite someone who could raise the dead to such an event.  
  
The sapling was the only marker for the large grave, this Michealangelo sourly noted; a shrubby tree wouldn't really aid a wandering spirit in its quest for eternal rest. It was as if the headmaster was asking for someone to run up and reanimate Ceclia, and then sic the dragon corpse on the town that lay along the curving, rocky coast not more than ten miles away.  
  
So, he stood there, peering out the latticed windows, which had purple panes of glass integrated in a random pattern along with the clear glass diamonds, and watched as the mass of black-clad students and townsfolk pay their final respects before leaving the embankment, from which a glorious sunset could be seen. Almost everyone had left, that is, except for two young students.  
  
The fluffy clouds were tinged a bright pink, and the sky was a light shade of lavender. The golden disc that was the sun flared brightly, slowly sinking below the golden sea, making Lark squint her blue-gray eyes. A strong breeze flew in, blowing her long back hair, which had been neatly brushed back, in her face.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lark whipped around, almost loosing her balance on the rocky, overturned soil, looking for the speaker. Rogerik stood behind her, dressed in his usual button-down shirt, this time with a pair of gray dress-pants, gazing absentmindedly at the shockingly vibrant array of colors before him. The water-manipulator glowered before stiffly replying, "Yeah. Wish I had my camera with me."  
  
"Doubt you catch anything like this with one picture."  
  
"A picture can hold a thousand words," Lark stated, still half-expecting the thief to flip her skirt or make another lewd joke. Rogerik glanced her way for a second, but shrugged it off and turned around. "Hey, you, um, coming?"  
  
"Yeah. Just... give me a sec."  
  
And all this, Michealangelo watched from the purple and transparent latticed window, remembering his own childhood with a slight smirk on his face. He was so enraptured with watching the two students that he didn't even notice Givanni come in and quietly shut the door behind him. The headmaster watched his employee from his large office desk, which was primly neat and proper, pointed a finger at the large fireplace, which promptly sparked and crackled to life, and finally broke the silence by clearing his throat.  
  
"Reminiscing again, Michealangelo?"  
  
The necromancer didn't budge an inch. "None of your business, headmaster," he curtly replied. Straightening up from his haphazard slouch against the window frame, he strode to the plush chair facing Givanni's clean desk and plunked himself down in it, dark brown eyes coldly boring holes into the headmaster's head.  
  
"Well, ah, what was on your mind?" Givanni leaned back in his comfortable desk chair, lacing his fingers, his elegant brow furrowed with curiosity. A thought flickered across the necromancer's mind, mainly about the dragon's funeral service, but he brushed it back and instead turned to the matter at hand.  
  
" I was a bit concerned about the recent attack upon the academy by Sleipnir. Surely you recall the force with which he attacked, am I right?"  
  
"Of course. But nobody was hurt, besides Cecilia and a small injury to one of the students. Such attacks by creatures and monsters are fairly common in unstable conditions such as the barrier worlds."  
  
"That was no monster; it was a godly being. Although the wind pipes might have had no affect upon Sleipnir, his companions should not have been able to cross into the school."  
  
"Hm... perhaps, I daresay, the old spells and bindings protecting this academy are failing? It would make sense after a couple thousand years." At this, Givanni reached behind his desk, pulling out a drawer and slipping a bottle of wine from it, then placing it upon the desk in front of the teacher. "Care for a bit of wine, Michealangelo?"  
  
The Laird shook his head, black hair contrasting with the wind-tanned skin, and continued on. "What really worries me is that Sleipnir suddenly 'appeared' and attacked us while the Reiki Tantei Lord Koenma sent were gone on a trip. It was as if someone was planning this ahead of time, and I fear that someone may be here at this campus as we speak."  
  
Givanni brought the glass decanter to his lips, sipped, and leaned back, swirling the wine in its glass as he mused over the necromancer's suspicions. "Yes, well, one can't account for bad luck, can they?"  
  
"That was no bad luck."  
  
"Either way, and I'd really love to talk to you about this more, Michealangelo, I have an appointment with a man who sent in an application for a position in the school. So, if you'd excuse me, I must go."  
  
Givanni rose from his seat, and was halfway through the wooden office door when Michealangelo interrupted him.  
  
"You're just going to ignore this, then?" the laird asked, not moving from his seat. Givanni merely turned his head a little, and then sighed in exasperation.  
  
"I'm not ignoring the problem, my good laird. I just have more important things to do at the moment than wonder why the gods suddenly decided to come down and smite us. I will see you later."  
  
The headmaster left the room, the great oaken door slamming shut behind him, leaving Michealangelo to sit in the dark room, with only the fireplace for companionship.  
  
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KKC: Now that that's finally done, I can get to work on the next chapter. ^- ^ Also, I'm thinking of putting up another fic, even though its not for Yu Yu Hakusho, considering I've been putting a bit more heart into that during the last month or so since I've disappeared from Fanfic.net. (even though I leave the odd review or two when I get the chance)  
  
Grimoire: Hm, that's all very well and good, but how do you plan on keeping up with two fics and school?  
  
KKC: ...Hire others to type it for me while I dictate it to them?  
  
Grimoire: Now that's lazy.  
  
KKC: ^ ^;; at least it won't take a month to update each new chapter. Anywho, still taking requests for reviewer-sent characters. Oh, Meru, in case you're wondering, your character might appear in the next chapter... or the one after that. Someone has to help rescue Kurama from his on-campus fan club. 


	28. Crysanthemum's entrance into the world o

Disclaimer: Lessee... I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, Shikyo, or any possible shreds of sanity (despite what some of you might think, moving is hard -and therefore a plausible excuse for not updating for a month). Oh, and Aki belongs to Stephanie.  
  
Quote of the week: "Let's see... if it wasn't for you, Jak, I wouldn't be two feet tall, fuzzy, and running around the sewers without pants. ...God I miss pants..." -Daxter, from Jak 2 (God, I love that game...)  
  
KKC: *starry-eyed* Wow... so many reviews... Now we can finally get back on track with our weekly updates! And I'm thinking of throwing in a "Wheel of Torture" scenario sooner or later.  
  
Grimoire: If you're going to torture a character, roast Atauro. I want his head!  
  
KKC: Wha? What happened between you two?  
  
Grimoire: just an ...argument.  
  
KKC: -.- What'd you do this time?  
  
Grimoire: *off handedly* Hey, KKC?  
  
KKC: What?  
  
Grimoire: Who do you love more, me or the bird?  
  
KKC: o.0 WHAAAT?!  
  
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Back to school, a time we all dread, no matter what age we may be. Although it wasn't too much of a winter break (well, what do YOU think?), the time spent out of school seemed to pass so quickly, and it seemed that they had just gotten out of school the Friday before. But here they were, standing outside and waiting for their first period classes, trying their best to stay warm in the ten-degree weather. Ever since New Year's Eve, the weather had given in to a cold snap, the main reason they hadn't gone out to town on New Year's.  
  
Yusuke, Rogerik, and Lyonell stood outside the doors of Ryo's large tower classroom. Word was, Michealangelo had come to terms with Felicia, the young ghost that had haunted the elf's room just two weeks before, and the tower was ready for use. It was a pity, really; Yusuke had been hoping the Latin test Ryo had scheduled on the day of their return would be canceled.  
  
"Hey, am I late?" A voice called out behind the three boys, as Justin St.Pierre trotted up to wait with the rest of the class. The teenage boy had gotten a tan over the summer, and his dirty-blond hair had lightened a shade during the winter break. He ran up, grinning, to his three friends, all of which were trying to keep themselves warm in the unbearable cold. "Glad to see you had a nice vacation." Lyonell growled, his tawny-colored cat's ears flicked back and golden-furred tail twitching in annoyance. Rogerik, his leather pilot's jacket wrapped tight around his shivering frame, merely glared; his dark gray eyes reflecting something a little short of jealousy. It was Yusuke, though, who sarcastically asked the big question.  
  
"And where were you during the winter break?"  
  
Justin nervously chuckled and backed away from the spirit detective, his backpack slipping off of his shoulder a little. This was one of those times where you had to choose your words reeeaaally carefully, unless you wanted to explore the bottom of the pond in a pair of cement shoes. Unfortunately for poor Justin, a slip of paper fell from an open pocket on his bag, and landed on a frozen puddle of ice right by Lyonell's paw. Reaching down, his pupils not much more than slits, the demon twin murmured, "Well what's this..?"  
  
The paper was fairly stiff, and the front was blank, except for a slew of seven-digit numbers hastily written in pen. Flipping it over, the cat demon's green eyes widened in surprise and he could only stare. It was a photograph.  
  
Well, not just any photograph. Y'see, this one had Justin flipping a victory sign on a tropical beach, not that there was anything wrong with that, but crowded around was a group of full-figured, lusty, bikini-clad women; not one or two, but six.  
  
The three boys merely stared at the photo, eyes bugging out of their heads, and Justin meekly tried to sneak away before they snapped out of la-la-land and decided to wring his neck. The teenager whipped around, prepared to run at full speed away from his companions - far away - but one sharp claw hooked onto the back of his hooded sweatshirt and yanked him back, bringing Justin face to face with the three other students.  
  
"Care to explain, Justin?" the photo was shoved in his face, hanging from the fingers of a very annoyed Yusuke.  
  
"I, uh... went to St. Marten with my family for Christmas vacation! Seriously!" Justin brought up his arms, defending his face, hoping Yusuke would buy his alibi. There was no time to contemplate this new bit of information; however, as the thick steel door swung open, allowing passage out from the bitter January cold. No one lingered outside, every single student out of the class of twenty swarmed inside, each hurrying up the tower staircase.  
  
It wasn't much warmer inside; icicles were formed on the banister and they could easily see their breath. Ice coated the stone walls, thankfully the stairs were clear of the frozen liquid, and it grew progressively warmer as they continued their ascent. Yusuke, Rogerik, Lyonell, and Justin were the last ones in; the door slamming shut behind them, and scuttled to their desks.  
  
The class was silent for a moment or two, but quickly escalated into idle chatter. Lyonell glanced around the room for any staff, just in case, and skittered over to Yusuke, Justin, and Rogerik's desks. He barely managed to make it half-way when the door slammed open, the sound of metal on stone reverberating throughout the entire room, and a freezing gust of wind roared inside, causing the Kelpie and swan skeleton to swing from their ceiling hooks and chilling any students that happened to come into contact with the draft. Snow whirled around, kicking up in the wind and finally coming to rest at the feet of the stranger that stood in the doorway.  
  
The door quickly shut behind the man as he stepped inside, as he unzipped his leather jacket and slid the bandanna that had been covering the lower half of his face down. Taking off the aged jacket, he flopped it over the back of Ryo's comfortable computer chair and strode to the far side of the room, where he turned up the thermostat. The heaters located by the windows roared to life, and the temperature in the room almost instantly escalated. Everyone was silent; this stranger seemed intimidating despite his lean frame, long hair (which was tied up in a ponytail), and dark, almost black, eyes.  
  
The chains attached to the belt of his jeans jangled with every step of his booted feet as he strode down the aisle, back to the front of the room. It was timid little Elaine that broke the awkward silence. "Er, sir? May I ask... what is delaying professor Ryo?" Elaine was never very loud, her small delicate frame not able to produce such noise, and she shyly hid behind Justin, who sat in front of her, trying to hide her translucent fairy's wings at the same time. The stranger turned towards the small fairy, his hard, dark eyes softening a tad, and stiffly replied, "Ryo has some business to attend to. I believe you have heard about the ghost, Felicia, haunting him and his classroom?"  
  
Elaine, sensing the stranger meant no harm and was most likely their substitute, merely nodded.  
  
"Good. I was asked to exorcise the spirit, but she refused to peacefully leave this world until your teacher had performed a favor for her."  
  
It took a moment for this to sink into Yusuke's head, which was still rather foggy from the cold, but Rogerik caught on right away. His gray- green eyes widened and the thief muttered, "So you're Laird Michealangelo..."  
  
"Hm? Disappointed, boy?" It had seemed Michealangelo had heard the comment, which wasn't too hard to figure out since he had been literally standing next to the boys in order to hear Elaine. The rogue jumped a little in surprise, then furiously tried to backpedal.  
  
"Uh, er... no, no... Nothing like that, sir."  
  
While his roommate was busy talking to the substitute, Yusuke finally manage to get a grasp on the situation. But a favor for Felicia? Having met the elf's fangirl before, something told Yusuke that Ryo had asked for more than he could chew. Still, it wouldn't hurt to know what the ghost's last wish was.  
  
"Sir, exactly what did Felicia ask?"  
  
"Nothing much; just a date with Ryo."  
  
Michealangelo smirked, knowing full well that this would happen; the class had exploded into laughter. He allowed it to continue for a minute or two, since the idea was actually quite entertaining, but loudly slammed his palm on Ryo's desk, sending papers and a paper coffee cup flying, in order to get the class' attention.  
  
Everyone jumped, surprised by the sudden noise, and meekly turned back towards the teacher, who had comfortably set himself behind Ryo's desk, feet propped up on the cluttered piece of furniture, and was now thumbing through the book-pages in Ryo's schedule book. "Alright, every one. Ryo assigned you numbers one through fifty-six, pages 459-463. Get to work." There was a collective sigh from almost every student, but the thick textbooks were dutifully dragged out, and pages rustled as each classmate turned to their assignment. Soon, nothing was heard except the scratching of pens on paper, and the necromancer, after shooting a quick glance or two at his charges, pulled out a thick, leather-bound book from somewhere in Ryo's mess of a desk and began to read.  
  
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"Lark, it shouldn't take you a full fifteen minutes just to find one paper," Chrysanthemum drawled, her green eyes half-closed in boredom and her tawny gold tail flicking back and forth. The water manipulator grumbled something incomprehensible - knowing her, it was probably a dazzling array of colorful language. There was a muffled cry of "Aha!" and Lark pulled something out from the depths of her backpack. Her cat companion visibly perked up, asking, "Did you find your homework?"  
  
"No, but I found the missing page of that violin music I was looking for!"  
  
"Stay on track." Chrysanthemum rolled her slitted eyes, looking for something to focus her attention on until the teacher for her new advanced English class arrived. It was a fairly new class, opened to honor students after winter break; the old teacher of the program, however, had recently retired, leaving Givanni no choice but to find a suitable replacement.  
  
The demon-twin's acute hearing could pick up the sound of someone striding down the hall of the brick building, her tufted ears flicking back as the doorknob turned and slowly creaked open. At first, Chrysanthemum boredly continued her search around the fairly empty classroom, until her eyes rested on the man that stepped inside.  
  
He couldn't have been older than eighteen or nineteen, and was fairly slim; black bangs partially covering his pale face. What set him aside from most men, however, was the lithe, pitch-black tail that twitched behind him, and sharply erect, silky black, cats ears. His eyes were almost covered by his dark hair; it was so black there were faint blue and purple highlights when the dim lights hit it the right way, and were equally as dark-tinted as his fur.  
  
As the young teacher placed his bag on the clear and empty desk, all that went through the young student's mind was, 'God, am I lucky or what?' Chrysanthemum's silent reverie was rudely interrupted when, finally finding her lost homework (it had even been placed in a bright yellow folder with the words "do not lose this" in black sharpie on the cover), Lark went to sit upright in her seat and whacked her head on the bottom of her desk. Lark yelped in pain, her head throbbing, and shot up straight in her seat. Her folder with her formerly lost homework fell back to the floor, where a clawed hand picked it up and place it on her desk.  
  
"I believe this belongs to you, ladies?" the voice was as silky and smooth as the ebony ears atop the speaker's head, and both students dumbly nodded. Lark, more surprised than awed (unlike the daydreaming cat demon next to her), merely took the paper from her teacher's hand and continued to stare as he crossed to the front of the room and wrote his name on the white board in black marker.  
  
Shikyo.  
  
And so, that one name marked the beginning of Chrysanthemum's entrance into the world of men and crushes.  
  
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"And remember, we have a test on Friday, so I suggest you all study your elemental spirits before then. Have a good day." Ms. Hisagawa smiled as the bell rang and her class of twelve students filed out the door of her cottage classroom; Lyra and Kurama among them. It had been pure luck they had managed to get into this class, even with their high grades, as it was usually reserved for the upperclassmen.  
  
A auburn haired, young woman ran up to the two roommates, her dragonfly- like wings shimmering in the winter sunlight, and very happily pounded Kurama on the shoulder.  
  
"Alright, Minamono! It's amazing you managed to get the last question. Y'know, about the affects a Siren has on its prey..."  
  
The redhead smiled, although it was slightly strained since his arm stung quite a bit, and turned onto the paved path that lead to the main campus. "Yes, well, it wasn't really that hard..."  
  
"Oh, don't be so modest!" Aki, as usual, was optimistic and overly enthusiastic, and wasted no time in trying to spread around her seemingly endless cheer. A small, brown-haired head caught her eye in a group of younger students walking by, and she squealed before running up to the head's owner.  
  
"Rinku-chan! I didn't think Suzuka would be able to get you enrolled so quickly!" Lyra and Kurama, recognizing the name, sorted their way through the crowd, just in time to see the foliage fairy hugging the poor little youkai boy to death. Sweatdropping, Lyra murmured, "Is it just me, or am I missing something here..?"  
  
"...It's not just you."  
  
They watched for a moment more as Rinku managed to wriggle free of Aki's crushing hug and, after gasping for air as the happy-go-lucky fairy apologized, waved to the two. "I-I started school here... looked like fun. She's my roommate." Aki nodded, holding her fingers in a victory sign. "Yep! He moved in during winter break. Have you met him before?"  
  
"You could say we have." Lyra shyly smiled. Sometimes, Aki could be intimidating; not that she meant to, it was just her outgoing nature. "Really? Wow! Small world, isn't it?"  
  
All three students stared at the fairy, who had seemingly fluttered off to go hug another unsuspecting acquaintance to death. Shrugging in unison, Kurama and Lyra parted ways with Rinku before rushing off to their next class.  
  
Hiding behind a fire escape, a certain blond-haired beauty smugly smirked and checked her watch. One thirty. Just five more hours until the fox was hers - and this time, she had brought some friends.  
  
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KKC: Yes, it's more of a filler chapter than anything, but at least I got it up before the weekend. Don't worry, Kurama will get kidnapped in the next chapter.  
  
Grimoire: That's all very nice, but back to my question. Who do you care about more? Shit head or me?  
  
KKC: Erm... do I hafta choose?  
  
Grimoire: Yes. *turns to Fangirlitis, who is fiddling around with some wires* What are you doing?  
  
Fangirlitis: *jumps up and hastily stuffs wires back behind computer desk* Who, me? I just wander around from room to room.  
  
KKC: *eyes widen, and she rushes to her PC* Wha-what did you do to it?!  
  
Fangirlitis: Nothing! Honestly!  
  
Grimoire: Oh, like you're honest.  
  
KKC: Children, shut it. *sighs* well, until I can figure out what damage Fangirlitis did to my computer-  
  
Fangirlitis: I didn't do anything! I swear!  
  
Grimoire: Yes, you do: often.  
  
KKC: -Review. I'll update soon.  
  
Fangirlitis: Keep interrupting and I'll stick that tail of yours where the sun don't shine!  
  
Grimoire: Bring it on, you socially-inept excuse for a writer!  
  
*Both sister and muse charge at each other and start trying to strangle the other*  
  
KKC: *Watching Grim and Fangirlitis as they wreak havoc to her room* -.-* sometimes I wish I could just disown myself. 


	29. into the lair of all things scary, the f

Disclaimer: Again with the disclaimer... Y'know what? I think you guys know that I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho already. I've only been saying this for well over four or five months now.  
  
Quote of the week: "Evil is better because good is dumb!" -to tell the truth, I don't know who said this. ^ ^;; How many people have you heard repeating it?  
  
Author's note: Don't worry, Ryuu-chan. Yukimi is around, and is currently looking for an apartment to rent in town (with the help of Touya, which explains why he's not in this chapter). Since she's not a staff member of the academy, she can't live at the dorms, but still wants to hang around to see what happens to Cecilia's egg. She'll show up soon.  
  
Yet another Author's note: Sorry this was late. Schoolwork has been killing me lately, and I got even more during Vacation.  
  
Now, enter the fan club!  
  
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Pale light flooded the front yard, shading the snow a faint robin-egg's blue. The snow was piled in drifts, with a path cut through straight to the black screen door, and icicles hung from the wooden shutters. It was a fairly large house; much larger, Kurama noticed, than his own dorm on the other side of the campus.  
  
Rinku, having been faced with three different projects in the span of less than two hours, had frantically asked the fox to come by and help him. As he rang the doorbell, Kurama patiently waited outside for his ten-year-old friend to answer, taking in the detail of the old Victorian-style house. Complimentary to the dorm's age and style, a large circular turret rose into the sky, and fancily carved borders graced every spare overhang and windowsill. The front door was also beautifully designed; a stained glass mosaic graced its mahogany frame. In fact, the fox was so busy expecting the minutely detailed carvings on the porch railing; he almost didn't hear the door swing open and a familiar fairy envelop him in another rib- crushing embrace.  
  
Well, there went his kidney.  
  
"Kurama-chan! I didn't expect to see you so soon! Did Rinku ask you to help him with his homework?"  
  
When it came to the obvious, Aki was as good as a mind reader. So, why couldn't she tell his diaphragm was going to collapse any second now? Faking a smile as best as he could, Kurama pried Aki's arms from around his ribcage and sidled away, hoping to high heaven that Rinku, Suzuka, anyone who lived in the autumn fairy's dorm would rescue him from this pixie-on- speed. His savior, however was not who he expected.  
  
Standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the sturdy frame, was Chuu. The Aussie demon looked a bit worn down; probably kudos the academy's strict no-alcohol rule. Aki, happily oblivious of Chuu's short patience, grinned and waved to both males before rising into the air with a flutter of her transparent wings. "Er, I better go. I'm going to be late for drama club rehearsal." In less than a minute, she was out of sight, the sinking sun on the horizon blinding anyone who looked up at the sky.  
  
Chuu grumbled something about "stupid, sugar-high, fairies on speed" and left the doorway, allowing Kurama access into the large dorm. In the living room, Lyonell, much to Kurama's surprise, was on the large couch and watching TV, as was Jay Gilbert, Shane Raby, and an older, butterfly-winged girl - no doubt another fairy. Lyonell, green eyes half-closed in a television-induced stupor, lazily waved to his classmate and turned back to the TV.  
  
The young woman stood up, gracefully fluttering up in the air, and landed next to Kurama, her blue-tinged hair settling back over her bright blue green eyes once the breeze that was kicked up from her beautifully detailed wings - which resembled those of a monarch butterfly's, except the main color was white instead of orange, and a slew of slate-gray spots decorated the black edge - died down.  
  
"Oh, you must be Kurama." She nodded her head in a polite hello, and Kurama held out his hand.  
  
"Yes, I am Kurama. Who, may I ask, are you?"  
  
"Clarice; Clarice Dupont." Clarice smiled, her large wings fluttering behind her back every so often, and shook hands with the fox. "I believe Rinku is up in his room - the one he shares with Lyonell and Jay. He also brought another friend with him; I believe you may be familiar with her."  
  
"Really? Well, I hate to be interrupting your exceedingly exciting program." Kurama gestured at the TV, which was now back to its regular programmed episodes of "Ed, Edd, and Eddy", and the elder fairy smiled and giggled.  
  
"Oh, don't worry at all. Just try not to be too loud, there are other students trying to study.  
  
"Of course, thank you." The fox politely bowed and walked from the living room to the all, where a wooden staircase wound up all the way to the third- floor attic. Finding Rinku's room wasn't as hard as he had expected, as the young youkai ran out as soon as Kurama stepped out onto the second floor platform. Rinku yapped "Hello" and ran into one of the bathrooms, apparently to turn off the faucets - which were not only pouring, but water was leaking out from the pipes. The yo-yo expert sighed in relief, and yelled back into the room, "Hey, Lyra, looks like your water summon didn't get too out of hand."  
  
"Well, that's good to know," She replied, wringing water out her black hair, which had been taken out of its traditional braid. She suddenly stopped, noticing her roommate had "suddenly" appeared. "Oh, Kurama, nice of you to come." She smiled, and seemed to nervously block the open door to Rinku's room as she re-braided her hair.  
  
"I heard Rinku had invited a friend of his over, but I never guessed it was you."  
  
"Um, Rinku's science teacher assigned this water-power project to him, and I'm helping him out." She shut the door and whispered, "To tell the truth, it was Suzuka's idea. He wanted to make sure Rinku didn't flood the place." The fox knowingly nodded, and both roommates instantly stopped talking as soon as Rinku walked up to them.  
  
"Well, I'm glad that didn't get too out of hand." The youkai cheerily smiled and opened the door to his shared bedroom, only to have his jaw drop in shock. Floating above Jay's bed was a fairly small cloud; it was dark gray and looked full enough of water to make a small monsoon take place in the large room. "Lyra, what is a cloud doing in my room?" He asked, his left eye twitching and mouth agape.  
  
"It must've, erm... wandered in?" Lyra sweetly chirruped, doing her best to sound innocent. Kurama could only stare at the foreboding cloud that hovered above their heads and he stepped out of the room, still staring alongside Rinku. "Why, don't you move that out of the house, Lyra?"  
  
"I can't," was the simple reply; and both demons stared at the water manipulator in disbelief.  
  
"What? Why can't you?" Rinku had managed to stop staring long enough to blurt out the question, and Lyra sighed, obviously preparing for a long explanation on why she couldn't move the miniscule storm cloud out of the bedroom. A lightning bolt flew from the bottom of the puffy, almost black, mass of water vapor, striking an outlet - causing all the lights in the room to shut off completely.  
  
There were a couple muffled shouts of complaint from downstairs, and, poking his brown-haired head out of the door, Rinku noticed the electricity in the entire house had shorted out. "Well, that settles it. We're good as dead once they find out we did this."  
  
"I'll go see how they're doing downstairs."  
  
The little youkai jumped as Lyra placed her hand on his shoulder, and proceeded to walk down the hall, hand against the wall, until she came to the second floor landing, where something crashed into her and they fell out into the hall.  
  
"S-sorry 'bout that Lyra." It was unmistakably Shane's voice, and the boy seemed to generate a small sphere of light in his hand, and proceeded to help the dazed girl up onto her feet. In his entire one-week stay at the academy, Rinku had never seen the human use spirit energy or any special abilities - now why hadn't Shane created such a light source while he was barreling up the steps? Apparently he couldn't continue to hold onto the light, because it quickly dimmed and then died out.  
  
"Hey, did anything happen up here? Chuu's downstairs checking the electrical circuits right now."  
  
Suddenly, a thought flashed in Rinku's mind - the thought that if anyone possibly saw the rain cloud in his room, he would definitely be sleeping outside from now on. Before Kurama could react, Rinku's bedroom door slammed shut in his face, and the fox could hear the telltale click as it was locked shut from the outside. Quietly, he listened to the conversation between the three students, but a certain feeling kept surfacing from the back of his mind.  
  
It was a mix of uneasiness and dread, and it coiled in his gut until he finally shot a nervous glance at the window. The dark blue curtains rustled in the chilly early February breeze that came in through the open window, and the branches of the tree outside swayed in the wind. With an internal sigh of relief, the fox went back to listening to the conversation. But, wait a minute... hadn't the window been shut last he checked?  
  
Kurama silently berated himself for being so high-strung; all that schoolwork and lack of sleep must've started to get to him. His suspicions doubled, however, when he heard a soft footstep from behind him and saw a faint shadow slide across the wall towards him. It might have been dark, but the moon was still bright enough to faintly light the room and the silvery cloud that took up the ceiling. Trying to ignore the shadow that crept along the wall, he hoped that Shane would leave and Rinku would just open the door to the bedroom.  
  
The shadow was moving faster now, at a running pace. It was fairly shapeless, and, this is what surprised Kurama the most, there wasn't a source that the shadow could have possibly come from.  
  
Kurama could hear the conversation die down a little and he took that moment to scurry from the door to one of the beds (judging from the number of golden hairs on the pillow, it was most likely Lyonell's.); but he couldn't possibly outrun the living darkness as it followed his path from the ceiling. His green eyes widened as the shadow took on a three- dimensional form, fleshing out until a young, curvaceous woman hung from the ceiling in front of him.  
  
Her skin was pale, which contrasted to her dark chestnut hair and blood red lips; her hair was short, the uneven bangs covering one of her golden eyes. She was skimpily dressed, as more skin than clothing showed. Her top barely covered her ample chest, the neckline was extremely plunging, and the shirt tied together behind her back; she was wearing pants, but they were very tight and hugged every single curve of her hips and legs. Bat wings stretched out from her back, and a tight black ribbon choker with spikes on it was wrapped around her neck.  
  
What scared Kurama most of all was that she was holding a whip.  
  
And, while she seductively licked her full, red, lips, the bat-woman seemed very eager to use it.  
  
Before he could yell or even try to defend himself, she flung herself at him; putting him in a full body lock and tying his hands together with the coiled leather whip she carried, stuffing a rag in his face. He faintly recalled the smell of chemicals before he fell unconscious and everything turned black.  
  
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"I never thought that Shane would leave," Rinku sighed, leaning against the locked door for support. Lyra nodded in agreement, and unlocked the door, cringing as it opened with a creak. "Kurama, Are you okay? I'm sorry about what happened back there, we didn't mean to lock you in here." She peeked around the door, only to see an empty room. The window was open, and the cloud was starting to dissipate, but her fox-roommate was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Hey, where did he go?" Lyra flinched, not expecting Rinku to be standing next to her. She breathed in relief, and answered, "I... don't know."  
  
"He was kidnapped."  
  
Both students jumped a little, and Lyra whirled towards the source of the voice. "Who are you?"  
  
"Lyra, don't be so surprised. I bet I know who it is." Rinku walked over to the window and stuck his head out, peering among the branches of the old oak tree outside his window. His brown eyes caught sight of a black lump and he called out, "Meru, stop playing around!" He had to literally dive from the window, as Meru was amazingly fast in the twisted branches of the old tree.  
  
The demon was fairly short, her brown hair wild from the fierce winds, and she was dressed in a truly gothic garb. Fingering the charm on her choker, from which a pendant of a Celtic knot hung, she informed, "I saw Kurama being dragged out of the window by a member of his fan club - a bat demon. She was flying towards the north."  
  
"Kurama has a fan club?" Rinku stood up, rubbing his sore head, which he had bumped while leaping out of Meru's way.  
  
"Weren't you aware of it? They only stalk him everywhere he goes." Rinku only shook his head and Lyra tried to cover up for her young friend. "He's new here."  
  
"Well that explains it. I suppose he's lucky not to have met Helen," Meru mused, still playing with the charm on her choker necklace. "One of my friends is a member of Kurama's fan club; you have no idea how long they've been planning this."  
  
"So, then what are we going to do? We can't just leave him there with all those girls."  
  
Both female students stared at Rinku, and an uneasy silence hung in the air. Shrugging in defeat, Lyra pulled out her crystal pendulum from her messenger bag over on Rinku's bed and unfolded a map of the campus that was conveniently placed on the only computer desk in the room. She held the chain of the pendulum loosely in her hand, closing her blue eyes as if focusing her energy into asking the crystal which way her friend had been taken. The pendulum twitched once, twice, then began swinging around in a low circle. Both Meru and Rinku curiously watched as the circles became smaller and smaller, until the crystal pointed at a single building on the map - Helen's own dorm.  
  
"Figures." Meru muttered, remembering all too well who ran the girls-only building. The woman in charge looked all too much like the Trunchbull in Rod Dahl's Matilda, and she acted pretty much the same way. It was rumored that small tremors could be felt whenever the earth-controlling teacher was angry, and she was as sturdily built as the element she controlled. Of all the odds, it had to be the one building governed by Ophelia Delacours.  
  
The next hour found the three students standing outside the large, stone building that had served as a girl's dorm for well over a hundred years. The sun had dipped below the horizon a long time ago, and the stars shone brightly in the night sky; such brilliance hardly made a difference though, as it was still pitch black without the moon's light. It was freezing; Lyra and Rinku were standing underneath the bare boughs of a tall slender tree, which, oddly enough, had a multitude of pale white blossoms along the topmost crown.  
  
"Wasn't Meru with us?" Rinku continued shivering, rubbing his arms to keep warm; the cold even cut through his jacket and the two shirts underneath, and stung his ears from underneath his hat and hair. Lyra, shivering alongside Rinku, smiled and shrugged her shoulders. In truth, after Meru had decided to take a shortcut through the trees, neither she nor Rinku had seen the strange demon, and had not heard a word from her.  
  
"I suppose she's around... somewhere." Lyra leaned against the tree, peering up at the strange flowers from amidst the silvery bark that protected the plant from the frigid cold.  
  
"Boo."  
  
Lyra shrieked and jumped back, only to be quickly silenced by Meru, who melded out from the shadows and covered the elder water manipulator's mouth with her gloved hand, the spiked bracelets grazing against Lyra's fairly pale skin. "Be quiet, will you? The last thing we need is for someone to hear us."  
  
Lyra nodded, and took a deep breath once Meru's hand was gone from her mouth. Taking a moment to calm her racing heart, she turned to Rinku, who was carrying a backpack of various junk.  
  
"Rinku, did you get everything?"  
  
"Yeah, but what do you need with some of Aki's perfumes? I mean, I know they're flowery and junk, but I just don't get the point."  
  
Lyra reached into the bag and took out a large glass bottle, upon which a large flower decal graced the soft green surface. "Rinku, just trust me on this. First, we need to start soaking those cloths." Meru nodded and, instead of waiting for Rinku to open the bag and wait patiently, grabbed it from his shoulders and hunched down, triumphantly pulling out a roll of thick, cloth bandages. Next was a wooden bowl, which the noxious perfume was poured into, and the bandages were sliced into strips about two inches wide by six inches long.  
  
By the time the all the cloth had been thoroughly soaked, all three students were covering their noses from the hideous smell and Meru couldn't help but compliment Lyra's ingenuity.  
  
"Oh, really, Meru, it's no big deal; I got the idea from my sister."  
  
"I never would've guessed," Rinku managed to gulp in enough air to say that one comment, but his face instantly wore an expression of disgust from the stench. The girls jumped a little, but Meru quickly dragged the young youkai out from under the tree where they were preparing their revenge.  
  
"Alright, Meru; you think maybe you could sneak in the air vents and manage to find Kurama?"  
  
"Hey, I could do that! She'd get stuck!"  
  
"What did you just say, Rinku?"  
  
"Er... I mean you're way too sophisticated to go crawling around in the dust like that. Why waste the energy; I'll take care of it for you."  
  
"I thought as much..."  
  
"Hey, enough from you two; we need to get Kurama back."  
  
"Alright, I'm going, I'm going..."  
  
"Don't let the rats scare you, Rinku." The yo-yo master merely glared at Meru, who innocently smiled and gave him a leg up, before climbing up the thick ivy vines that covered the west side of the dorm, the backpack of perfume-soaked cloths on his back. Before he managed to haul himself in, he could hear Lyra yell up at him.  
  
"Rinku, be careful, that load is highly flammable! Stay away from the furnace or the heat will make you go up in flames!"  
  
Well, that was lovely to hear before charging off unto one's certain demise, just lovely.  
  
The young youkai clambered inside the ventilation shaft, somewhat cautiously, and proceeded into the inner sanctum of the all-girls dorm. He continued in, until he reached an intersection of four different vents, each wide enough to crawl through; flicking on a small flashlight, Rinku shone it down each passageway, trying to ignore the painful object stabbing him in his side. Whatever it was, it was annoying, and he wasn't anxious to let it stab him any further.  
  
"Erm... Let's see... what to pick..." He glanced down each foreboding passage, his brown eyes narrowed in suspicion, and finally sat down, Indian- style. At least one of those vents had to lead to the furnace, or (God forbid) Ophelia's office. The fierce jabbing continued, and Rinku, finally fed up with the pain while he was trying to think, pulled the offending object out from his pocket. There was a flutter of paper, and the demon suddenly was aware that the object was a folded-up map.  
  
"Yes! No way I'm wandering around like a rat in a maze!" He quickly unfolded it, and shone the flashlight over its faded surface. The map was clear, concise, if a bit old, and scribbled in the bottom was the name "Meru". It seemed the student had slipped the folded map in Rinku's pocket while she was helping him up onto the vines. Remembering the quickest way to Helen's room, Rinku folded it and put it into his back jeans pocket, making a silent note to thank his roommate when, and if, he ever made it out of there.  
  
In ten minutes, Rinku had scaled up a vertical shaft, taken an infinite number of turns, and had finally made it to the fourth floor, where the upperclassmen students had their rooms. Apparently, this was also where Kurama was being held, judging by the pitch of the shrieks that sounded from one of the numerous dorms. Before the youkai had even gotten within a ten-foot radius of the room, he could hear Kurama's own voice, and the fox didn't sound too happy.  
  
"Get away from me! I swear, if I'm forced to attack you, it's your own fault!"  
  
"Isn't he darling!"  
  
"Attack me, Kurama, attack me!"  
  
"No, attack me! He's mine bitch!"  
  
There was the sound of a sharp slap among the many voices, and then a roar sounded among the fan club. Rinku, his curiosity piqued, quietly crawled down the vent, and peered through the rate that was high up on the wall. Now this, this was too much; it was all Rinku could do to keep from laughing. And at the same time, it made him very sick.  
  
Kurama was bound and on a mass of pillows (think of Arabian knights here, people), an entire horde of young girls surrounded him, each one fighting to get close to their idol. Helen, the leader of them all, had seated herself next to the fox, and was now caressing his leg, with a lovesick look on her face. Kurama was white as a sheet, and obviously very frightened, or stressed. With all those young girls around, just begging him to seduce them, the young youkai was surprised that Youko Kurama hadn't managed to gain control - and that was a miracle in itself.  
  
Before he could even chuckle at the fox's predicament, Rinku scuttled away down the vent. Finally out of range of the young girls, the demon took a deep breath, than started laughing, laughing so hard he to his stomach and banged his fists on the floor. Poor Kurama always seemed to get the worst of it, maybe the fox still had bad karma from when he was a thief in Makai; nevertheless, those girls were in just as much danger as the fox himself. If Youko ever managed to break through Kurama's mental barrier, not only would the thief have the night of his life, but he could seriously ruin the lives of others, mainly the lives of his fan girls.  
  
When his laughter finally died down, Rinku sighed and got to work. The wet cloths were drenched in some of Aki's strongest perfumes, and the young demon had to breathe through his mouth in order to even manage to open the bag that held them. Taking a wet handful, he plopped them down in a pile in the vent, wiped his hands off on the leg of his jeans, and scurried back down the vent, leaving piles of soaked cloths (and puddles of perfume) as he went. Pulling a cell phone out from his pocket (everyone has one these days, don't they?), he called Meru's number and eagerly waited for his roommate to pick up.  
  
Back outside, the two girls patiently waited, eager to hear if Kurama was all right. Meru, perched up on a low tree branch, was nearly asleep when her phone went off, annoyingly loud in the quiet night. Growling under her breath, she angrily took it out of her pocket and flipped the cover.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Meru. It's Rinku."  
  
"Don't need to tell me twice. What is it you want?"  
  
"I placed the cloths, so what next?"  
  
"Burn 'em." There was silence on the end of the phone then, "WHAT?!"  
  
"Burn them, Rinku. That's how the steam will be released and we can sneak in."  
  
"After all that trouble, and you want me to burn them? Why didn't you just toss some stink bombs in the air vents?"  
  
"Because stink bombs won't set off the fire alarm. We need to cause enough commotion to drive out the girls so we won't be noticed." There was a very audible sigh from the other end, then the telltale click of a lighter being fired up (Where Rinku got it, is perhaps best left unsaid). "Who's plan was this anyways?" The youkai asked, shuffling down the vent. Meru looked down at Lyra, who was nearly asleep, and quietly answered, "Lyra's."  
  
"I thought she got it from Lark."  
  
"Then blame both of them. Are you out of there yet?"  
  
"Do I look it?" There was a soft clunk as the lighter was tossed down the vent, another bout of silence from Rinku, then the young student started screaming obscenities.  
  
"Oh Crap! Sweet Mother Lord! The Hell do you have in your head, ROCKS?" There was a hurried scraping and scratching sound, and Meru eagerly turned her head towards the vent exit. Obviously, the little boy was making excellent time while getting out of the vents; when making the plans, Meru hadn't been lying about "lighting a fire under their asses" if Rinku was too slow. Fire was a great motivator.  
  
There was a muffled shout from behind the girls, and Meru watched as Rinku jumped out of the vent, flame licking at his heels. The youkai got up, stumbled a little, and stomped over to his roommate and friend. "Meru, what the hell were you thinking? I almost got burnt to a crisp back there!" Rinku's yell was at a deafening volume, and Lyra instantly awoke, only to find Rinku glaring at her.  
  
"What happened?" The water manipulator's voice was quiet and timid, compared to the younger demon and Meru.  
  
"I almost died, that's what happened!" Seeing Lyra's sympathetic look, he felt a stab of guilt and lowered his voice. "I set those stinking cloths on fire, so what now?"  
  
Meru, arms crossed, leaped down from her bark-covered perch and landed next to her companions, the many chains linked onto her baggy black pants clinking. "We go in and fetch our fox. Hopefully, Helen and those other fan girls passed out by now." The female demon untied a trio of black bandannas, recently tied together and used as a belt, and handed one to each of her companions; tying the third one loosely around her own neck, Meru motioned for Lyra and Rinku to follow her as she darted around a corner of the huge stone building.  
  
"Rinku, can you manage to pick those locks?"  
  
"Was I a pick pocket in that traveling sideshow for nothing? Of course I can!" The young demon scurried over, and instantly got to work on the brass door-knocker; it was strangely calm, considering they were breaking and entering into someone else's home, and Lyra, sitting casually on the huge front steps while deep in thought, thought it probably had to do with the fact that she was becoming quite used to this. In her opinion, after living with Rogerik for almost half a year now, the security system was rather pathetic; Ophelia could have at least of set a few traps, or at least get a guard dog.  
  
The water manipulator instantly jumped up with a startled yelp as a small light burst into a crackling existence right where she had been sitting. Seconds later, a hoarse bark sounded from the other side of the house, and Meru cursed as a large black dog surged forwards, only to be yanked back by a thick iron chain that was firmly secured into the ground by a giant metal stake, which was slowly being pulled out of the packed dirt.  
  
"Rinku, you might wanna hurry up there," Lyra shot over to her young friend, who grumbled something in annoyance and stood back as the door easily swung open.  
  
Both girls ran inside, snatching Rinku up in their arms and slammed the door behind them, just in time to see a flash of light flare up from the glass half-circle that was hung up on the top of the door. The handle was instantly turned red-hot from the giant lightning bolt that had hit the door full-force, and three students jumped away from the front door, realizing the stench that had infiltrated the entire building through the air vents. Tying the bandannas over their noses and mouths, Rinku pulled out the small penlight from his back pocket and shone it over the many objects in the large entrance hall.  
  
"Wow... Look at all this crap." An elegantly carved grandfather clock stood in a corner, and oil-painting portraits covered the wall where a huge wooden staircase curved up towards the second floor. A bluish-gray marble made up the floor, so polished that they could even see their reflections in it, and, hanging from the high ceiling, was a crystal chandelier, still glittering even though the only light came from the stars and Rinku's tiny flashlight. Meru nodded, too taken aback by the formality of the dorm to even speak.  
  
Lyra tapped Rinku on the shoulder and asked, "Rinku, do you have the map that you used to get through the vents? We need to find Kurama quickly."  
  
"Uh...Yeah, it's right here." He handed the crumpled-up piece of paper to Lyra, who instantly took it and stood underneath a huge skylight that took up most of the ceiling; after reading it for a moment, she sighed and called for her friend's attention.  
  
"Hey, um, we better get going. Guys?"  
  
Rinku followed Lyra up the stairs, then noticed something was missing.  
  
"Meru! Come on!"  
  
"Oh, right!" The demon followed them at a run, her long black jacket and brown hair fluttering in the breeze behind her.  
  
The hallway was lushly carpeted, and it reminded Lyra of Cecilia's hotel... before it had gotten demolished during their fight for the dragon's egg. It was a pity really; the giant building had been beautiful, from both the outside and the interior, and it would never be rebuilt - the blueprints had probably been destroyed when Cecilia's office had dislodged itself from the rest of the building and fallen down thirty floors into the sea below.  
  
More portraits hung on the walls here, and their portraits were just as richly carved as the grandfather clock below in the entrance hall; noticing that they subjects of these paintings were some of the deceased teachers of years gone by, she was surprised to see a very familiar elf standing in a rather large portrait, with an equally short woman standing next to him, a young child of about three on her lap. Both adults were smiling, and the whole painting expressed an explicit sense of family; but, ever since Lyra had been to the academy, Ryo had never smiled like that.  
  
"Hey, stop stalling over there! These bandannas can't keep block the stench of this place forever, y'know."  
  
"I dunno, it smells like flowers."  
  
"Rinku, will you shut up?"  
  
"Oh, sorry!" Glancing at the family portrait for a second longer, Lyra hurried over to her two friends, her eyes half-closed in thought. They continued walking for a bit, Meru snapping Lyra out of her daze long enough so the water manipulator wouldn't trip over the occasional student that was passed out in the hallway, until the demon finally stopped Lyra in the hallway.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lyra jumped a little at the sound of Meru's voice, which was unsually gentle, and stared down at the ground. "Nothing, really. We should hurry up, though, before Rinku gets too far ahead." Meru nodded in agreement, with a quiet, "Uh-huh..." escaping from her lips as the two girls walked down the hall, albeit at a slower pace.  
  
"Hey, Meru, you've been going to the academy longer than I have-"  
  
"By about a year."  
  
"Yeah, but has Ryo ever mentioned anything about his family?"  
  
"Well, he did tell the class once how his uncle Tsuyoshi got his lips stuck in a toaster."  
  
"No, I mean like his wife and child."  
  
"Ryo had a wife? Maybe you should get some fresh air, these fumes seem to be getting to you." The conversation was cut short as Rinku opened a door and yelled back to the girls, "Hey, look at this!" Both Lyra and Meru ran up to the laughing demon, and tried to fight down a fit of giggles. Well, at least Lyra tried.  
  
"Oh my..." Those two words summed up the entire scenario; Kurama, fan girls, and all. Helen was draped around the fox's waist, peacefully asleep, and Kurama was tied down the floor, propped up on a small mountain of pillows. Even in his sleep, the star-student had his arms blocking Helen's, trying to keep the girl as far away as possible. A soft mumble escaped his lips, and Lyra cautiously stepped over the sprawled bodies of sleeping teen girls so she could untie his bonds.  
  
"Rinku, Meru? Could you two stop busting your gut and help, please?" The knots were extremely tight, and it seemed someone in the group obviously had a brother who was a boy scout. Meru kneeled down next to Lyra and summoned up a bit of her spirit energy, forming it into the shape of a small pocketknife. With a quick jerk of her wrist, one of the thick leather straps were cut, and she eagerly got to work on the next one.  
  
Rinku, meanwhile was hanging out by the doorway, watching the scene in utmost amusement. As Meru cut the last strap, both girls shouldered Kurama and worked together to carry him out of the room, past Rinku. They dragged him down the hall for a bit, but Meru noticed that Rinku was still back in the room.  
  
"Hey, Rinku! Stop fooling around in there and help us get Kurama down the stairs! I still have to finish up a paper for my algebra class," Meru shouted back, and Rinku trotted up to them, putting what seemed to be a black sharpie in his pocket. They walked in silence for a while, and were halfway down the stairs before Rinku muttered, "You have a sick mind, Meru."  
  
"What?!" Meru lunged out at her younger roommate, putting him in a headlock as she helped Lyra move the redheaded boy down the large staircase. "Ah, Meru! Be careful, you two." The elder Admarant sister stumbled from the shift of weight, and almost tripped down the stairs as Meru and Rinku walked down the stairs, the yo-yo master stuck in a painful headlock. As usual, both of them ignored her, and Lyra struggled to carry Kurama don by herself.  
  
"I'm not the one who has a sick mind! You're the one who thought of it that way!"  
  
"Well, who wouldn't after they've lived in the same room as Justin?"  
  
"Please! That's a lousy excuse; I've been in the same dorm as St.Pierre for five years. Five! He's not nearly as bad as Rogerik."  
  
For a moment, Rinku stopped struggling. "...Yeah, you have a point."  
  
"Uh, help?" Wincing in pain as her braid was pulled by Kurama's dead weight, Lyra pleadingly tried to break up the argument. Meru looked over at the younger girl, and instantly released Rinku from his headlock. "Sorry, let me get that door for you."  
  
"Thanks, Meru; but maybe could you help me out with Kurama here?"  
  
"Alright, just don't get so agitated." The brown-haired girl Took part of the load on her own shoulder, opposite from Lyra, and forcefully kicked the door open. There was a shrill yelp, and they were faced with the same guard dog as before. The large black hound held his snarling head low, his long, drooping ears barely touching the sizeable front steps, and his ebony fur was bristled, static electricity crackling and jumping from each hair.  
  
"Crap."  
  
Meru reached forwards, so as to pull the door shut before the large dog could attack, but a flash of lightning instantly obliterated the door handle. "Definite crap," she muttered, slowly stepping back from the doorway. Blue electricity still flying through its dark coat, the hound slunk in after them, lighting up the entrance hall in all its finely furnished glory.  
  
Rinku instantly went for his yo-yos, but Lyra slowly shook her head. "Rinku, the charge could travel up the strings. It's best to just let me handle this." Lyra held her hand up, and chanted a strange, but short, incantation, causing a whitish-gray glow to surround her palm. The collection of spirit energy traveled up in the air, massing into an undistinguishable cloud, then stopped glowing. There was a loud boom from the small, dark cloud, and it instantly opened up in a torrent of rain.  
  
The rain splattered on the marble floor, soaking the dog, who yelped and ran out the door, tail between its legs, where it was much dryer. To the poor beast's misfortune, the cloud followed him, keeping speed as the black dog ran around a corner of the house and dived into it's large wooden doghouse, the cloud following it inside.  
  
"Poor mutt," Meru sighed. Rinku shrugged, muttering a quiet, "Bettter him than us," before stepping out the door. Lyra readjusted the load on her shoulder, freeing her long, braided hair from under Kurama's arm, and smiled at her two companions. "Don't worry, that cloud will disperse in about ten or so minutes."  
  
"Hey, Lyra, where did you learn how to do that?" Rinku asked, after about a half-hour of steady walking to the purple cottage that was the water manipulator and fox's dorm. Smiling rather innocently, she replied, "Well, it was actually by accident, when I created that cloud in your bedroom."  
  
"You did that?" Rinku stopped walking, waiting for the two girls to catch up.  
  
"Erm... yes, I did. But, that time was a complete mistake; I accidentally poured too much of my spirit energy into it, so it was very difficult to control."  
  
Silence, then...  
  
"You know you're gonna be the one to take the blame, right? I mean, once Lyonell and Justin find out..."  
  
"Don't remind me, please."  
  
Bright sunlight filtered in through the Venetian blinds that covered the many windows in Helen's shared room, and the blond-haired young teen brought up her hand to block it out. Squinting her pale blue eyes, she groggily stood up and stared at the mess in front of her. Not only was the lingering scent of flowers in the air, but the severed straps that once held Kurama in her room were sliced in half, and the entire horde of fan girls that worshipped the fox (alongside with her), was passed out on the floor.  
  
Growling in annoyance, Helen stomped out of the door, not caring if she stepped on someone on her way out, and dully noticed that there was a multitude of scuffmarks on the hardwood staircase. Ophelia was going to have a cow with this. Not like the students were actually going to clean the mess, the teacher was able to summon small gnomes to clean the large dorm, which she usually did instead of expending the time or energy to do it herself, but it was still unnerving.  
  
Strangely enough, the front door was wide open, and the brass door handle had been blown clean off.  
  
"That stupid dog. I wonder why Ophelia even keeps it around; he can't even guard the front yard," Helen growled, and glared at the large black hound that had meekly slunk up to the front door, his tail between his legs and dark fur still wet. Looking up at the dominant student in a pleading manner, the dog's bright yellow eyes instantly shone in amusement.  
  
"What is it, Rufus? What're you looking at, you dumb mutt?"  
  
The electric dog only growled low in his throat, a noise that Helen had come to understand as the hound's way of laughing (to tell the truth, Rufus was on an intelligence level that was almost equal to humans). Glaring at the much-hated mutt, she stomped over to a mirror that hung on a wall near the door to the dining room, and could only stare in shock. Black ink marred her lovely features, and a mustache, as well as swirls and a unibrow, were drawn on her face in clear and steady lines. Helen turned around and marched at the big black dog, who was standing on the front steps, wagging his tail with his tongue lolling out of his grinning jaws.  
  
Helen raised a hand to cuff the mutt, but noticed the quiet splashing sound as she stepped onto the marble floor by the front door. Looking down, she stared at the large puddle of water that spread across most of the polished floor, and also spread onto the front steps. Instantly, everything clicked into place for her. Lyra Admamrant.  
  
Who else would storm into HER house, steal HER bishie, and then ruin HER beautiful face? Ignoring the confused snippets of conversation that came from the second floor, the enraged student, star of Ophelia Delacours' girl's dorm, slammed her fist against the thick wooden door, oblivious to the stinging pain, and screamed for all the world to hear, "DAMN YOU, YOU BITCH! I'M GOING TO RUIN THE REST OF YOU *bleep*ING SCHOOL YEAR FOR THIS, GODDAMMIT!"  
  
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KKC: Censoring and editing is provided by Strict Mothers of Sheltered White Girls INC. (SMSWG INC.)  
  
Grimoire: o.0 ...there's no such company.  
  
KKC: Shaddup... Oh, for such a long wait, this story was reeeaaaally long: about 15 ½ pages. No idea when I'll get the next chapter up, as I still have a ton of work. . Damn school...  
  
Grimoire: Narrator Dude, you're up.  
  
Narrator Dude: *smoking a cigarette while reading World Weekly* Eh? Oh! *stomps out cigarette and clears throat* Now that Kurama has been saved from the clutches of his fan girls, what revenge is Helen planning? And just what happens when Lark tries to give her sister's and Kurama's relationship a "nudge" in the right direction on Valentine's day?  
  
Grimoire: Thanks.  
  
Narrator Dude: No prob. Call me if 'ya need me. *tucks his World Weekly under his arm and walks off*  
  
KKC: Oh, review please. 


	30. Revenge: as sweet as chocolate?

Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue, I don't call my lawyer to defend me in court.  
  
KKC: Well, since all that schoolwork is outta the way, now I can finally get back to weekly updates! ^-^  
  
Grim: *sighs* How much longer is this story going to take?  
  
KKC: Hm... I'm thinking maybe ten to thirteen more chapters. That's including the end, April vacation, and a few little snippets in between. Oh, and I might do a bloopers chapter at the very end - trust me, my sister and I came up with hundreds.  
  
Grim: At least the end is in sight. Enma, let me survive another three months of this torture...  
  
KKC: Yep! Finally... Oh, and here's the quote of the week:  
  
"Heh, Eddie the Brain surgeon. That's almost as bad as me being a psychologist." -Michealla (we were taking a career evaluative test. The ironic part is Michealla goes to see a shrink every Friday afternoon [her parent's think she's crazy. No idea where they ever got that idea...].)  
  
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Valentine's day. It was slowly looming up, like the leviathan in the middle of a stormy sea, spelling out disaster to all whom unluckily strayed in it's path; to some, it was a time of love, of happiness, of flowers, and of disgustingly cute teddy bears holding boxes of cheaply-made, caramel-filled chocolates.  
  
God, those bears were scary.  
  
But, vile teddy bears put aside, this year's valentines day was not going to be filled with chocolate and flowers. No, this year, our favorite psychokinetic thief was stuck without a date on Valentine's Day. Pathetic? Yes; but don't laugh dear reader, I've been stuck without a valentine's date for well over five years. (Not that I'm bitter, oh no...)  
  
So, despite the fact that the answer would most likely be no, and that the younger Admarant sister would probably drown him for suggesting such a thing, Rogerik went looking for Lark. It wasn't too hard to do, actually; apparently, the fourteen-year-old water manipulator was in the kitchen, and what she was cooking was almost as evil as those goddamn teddy bears.  
  
To Rogerik's luck, no one else was in the kitchen; then again, no one else was on the first floor. Now, call this a wild guess, but it most likely had to do with the noxious smell emanating from the huge iron pot that was simmering on the stovetop. Lark had her black hair tied back in a messy bun on her head, and was dressed in a button-down blouse and a plaid pleated miniskirt; the water manipulator seemed to be looking at something propped up on the counter, and was stirring whatever it was in the black pot. Faintly, Rogerik could hear her talking.  
  
"Alright... a pinch of basil, a clove a garlic, and... a teaspoon of sugar? What is this, Mary Poppins?" Green-gray eyes open wide, Rogerik watched as said items got thrown into the broth, and a cloud of yellowish smoke burst up from the iron pot. Judging by the smell and color of the thickening smoke, it was no doubt some spell or something Lark had read about in a book she had checked out from the school library, and, this Rogerik feverently hoped, wasn't what she was making for breakfast. Taking a deep sigh, the thief adjusted the collar of his button-down shirt, collected his wits, and stepped out from behind the kitchen island, straightening up as he did so.  
  
"Hey, Lark, how're -" There was a startled yelp as the water manipulator whirled around, trying to block whatever had been propped up on the counter from view, and directed a gush of water right from the faucet to the thief's face. In a second or two, the water stopped drenching poor Rogerik, and Lark nervously said, "Oh, it's just you. Um...sorry."  
  
"No problem..." He brushed his soaking wet hair out of his eyes and leaned against the kitchen island, trying not to get too angry about the unplanned bath. Lark nodded and anxiously shifted from foot to foot, hoping that he would just leave, but the thief glanced over at the counter that she was working on, and smirked.  
  
"Isn't that your sister's book?"  
  
"It was a heirloom from our mom, and it was to the both of us."  
  
"Really." Rogerik eyed the large leather book with interest, then shrugged and turned around, tossing all thoughts of Valentine's Day aside; after all, the PS2 was calling him. Before he even got past the kitchen island; however, there was a deafening roar from the stove and the broth exploded as a large, four-eyed, rat-like head burst out of the water. Lark shrieked and slammed the lid down on the creature, turning back to a sweatdropping Rogerik with a shaky smile.  
  
"I think I added a tad too much basil."  
  
"Oh, that explains it."  
  
"Helen, I know you're still upset about last week, but-"  
  
"Upset? UPSET?! Do you have any idea how UPSET I am? I'll tell you; we rightfully kidnapped the hottest guy on the campus, barely had any fun with him, passed out, had said hottest guy on campus kidnapped from US, and woke up with an entire kindergarten's-class of scribbles on our faces in permanent black ink!" The blonde charms specialist smiled and evilly snickered, continuing to stir some vile liquid that was currently being brewed in a large iron cauldron above a bonfire in the backyard. Turning around to one of her roommates, Helen wielded a large stainless steel spoon in her hand, and, brandishing it like a baseball bat, began to kick the crud out of a poor defenseless tree, the white blossoms from the top crown loosening and falling down in a flurry of pale petals all around her.  
  
"You - *whack*- Have -*thwap* - NO - *Fwap* - Idea - *Thwonk* - how -* Whap* - UPSET - *Ker-crack* - I -* Fwonk* - AM!" Helen gave the tree one last parting windmill kick, then turned back to her brew, her temper simmering as much as the liquid she stirred. Her roommate, still puzzled about how a solid tree could produce a hollow "fwonk" sound, decided it was best to leave the star student alone, and quickly left the backyard.  
  
The pot bubbled, and a dark green smoke started to collect in a sickly- looking cloud over Helen's head; maliciously grinning, she picked up one of the fallen flowers, which was amazingly still intact, then dropped it in the broth. The snow-white flower floated for a second, then withered and turned a coal-black color, before sinking to the bottom of the cauldron. "Finally. Kurama might be too nice a guy to blow off his own roommate, but this just might fix that little problem." Helen gleefully scooped a vial of the noxious broth, then corked it and slipped the glass beaker into her pocket.  
  
Kurama was about to meet his Mr. Hyde.  
  
"Come on, Lyra, trust me on this."  
  
"But, Holly, why go to Mueca today?" (A/N: The city finally has a name! Yay! *cuts red ribbon with over-sized scissors*)  
  
"Think of it as your birthday present, Lyra." The wind witch floated above her friend's bedroom balcony, perched upon her broom. Thankfully, Kyuro had left for the time being, and Holly desperately prayed that the familiar was staying out of trouble, wherever he was. For once, the cat had disappeared when he wasn't wanted.  
  
"Holly, but my birthday isn't until the twenty-second, and its only Valentine's Day." Lyra continued to sketch the tiny chipmunk that had perched upon the balcony railing, nibbling on a small seed - its prized possession. Adding a few minute details, such as the light's reflection in its huge black eyes, and a slightly furry texture to the body, the water manipulator sighed and took a second to glance up at the redheaded witch.  
  
"Fine, I'll come. But on one condition," Lyra raised one finger, and Holly's high hopes plummeted. God forbid Lyra screw up the plan Lark had come up with to "nudge" her sister along the right route. "No Birthday Party. Nothing. You are not to even bring out so much as a cupcake with a candle in it when the twenty-second rolls around, do I make myself clear?"  
  
Holly exhaled in relief, and jumped down from her broom, landing on the balcony with a soft thud, which startled the poor chipmunk and set it scurrying away. "Aye, aye, cap'n. No problem at all." She faked a salute, and held out her broom horizontally with both hands, focusing her energy until it levitated on its own. "Hop aboard." The witch pointed towards the broom with a flourish, a flourish that seemed sadly misplaced considering her mode of transportation was in serious need of a good old polish and trim, and then hopped on, putting a hand out for Lyra. The elder sister smiled and took her friend's hand, straddling the broomstick behind Holly, and grabbed onto Holly's shoulder as the broom jerked unsteadily into the air. "Holly, I thought you've been practicing!"  
  
"I have! Now I can make it over the trees without hitting the top branches." Lyra paled, remembering all to well the days when the witch had just learned how to fly on a broomstick, and gripped onto Holly's shoulder until her knuckles turned white, closing her dark blue eyes as the broom zoomed over the trees and towards the bustling city of Mueca.  
  
Relaxing under the branches of the healthily regenerated plum tree, which had sprung back amazingly during the winter (considering it had been uprooted and sloughed in half way back in chapter 3), Jin lazily opened one eye as Holly, with Lyra clinging on for dear life behind her, zoomed by on her broom, giving the wind master a victory sign as she flew to the crowded city. His mouth twisted in a smirk, one fang glinting in the early spring sunlight, Jin yawned and stretched, chasing off the young sparrow he had helped in December off of his horn; getting to his feet, he stretched his arms one last time, cracked his neck, and strode into the house, his tiny companion once again alighting on the horn that protruded from among his blood-red hair.  
  
"Jin! Hey, can you do me a favor?" Lark was clinging onto the shinobi's arm as soon as he stepped in the door, scaring off the little sparrow, who instead found a better perch in Rogerik's shoulder. Jin backed up, unlatching the younger sister from his arm, and was relieved to feel the blood flow back into the constricted limb. "Eh, what is this favor, exactly?"  
  
"I need a ride downtown..." Jin just looked at Lark incredulously, his blue eyes wide. "As if helping you get yer sister and fox-boy together, keeping Helen away from the two, and getting Kurama downtown isn't enough, you want me to give you a ride too?"  
  
"Um...yes? Please?" Lark batted her gray-blue eyes, the same look that had made the audience literally turn into puddles of tears when she played the lead in Annie way back at the age of six, and pouted. The windmaster sighed, scratching the back of his hair and finally replied, "Yeah, okay... but jus' this once. You're getting home on your own."  
  
"Yay! I'm so glad I didn't have to blackmail you with those pictures I took on that spy-cam Holly gave me for Christmas!" Lark clapped and turned back to the stove, then continued to finish up her little "project", completely oblivious to her Irish roommate's reaction as the last sentence finally sunk in while he was climbing the stairs to the second floor.  
  
"WHA-AT?!" He stopped short, almost tripping down the stairs as he spun on the narrow step, and managed to catch himself on the banister. His sigh of relief was short-lived; however, as Kyuro darted between his ankles, hissing as a charging Bones followed. Both Rogerik and the Sparrow cringed as the redhead yelped and slipped, whacking his horned head on the wooden banister and finally landing sprawled out on the first step, his normally blue eyes nothing but swirls. Meanwhile, the cat and skeleton dog charged out of the back door, almost knocking a startled Kurama flat on the floor as the fox came in from pruning the rosebushes that bordered the glass greenhouse.  
  
"Did I... miss something?"  
  
"Nah. Nothing out of the ordinary." Rogerik stopped leaning against the kitchen island and slipped out of the back door, anxious to get away from the less sane sister as soon as possible. Said sister had quickly flipped her book to a different page and covered the pot, containing the smell and smog inside. "Um, Kurama, why don't you move Jin upstairs. Yeah, I...uh... I have a project and it's highly flammable. Yep, so you should let him hang out in your room while I clean up down here, 'kay?"  
  
"I guess so..." Kurama flipped Jin over his shoulder, and started up the stairs; but before he got half way up, the fox asked, in a low voice, "You wouldn't happen to be planning anything, would you, Lark?"  
  
There was a quickly silenced "eep" and she nervously ushered him upstairs. "Y'know what? You caught me. Lyra's birthday is in a few days, and she thinks she can escape having a birthday party because she's going out to the spring for a, um... religious blessing thing... yep. Better not bother her; if done wrong she's gonna be cursed."  
  
"Her birthday is coming up in a few days?" The fox balanced Jin on the banister and had a thoughtful look in his green eyes. "Well, she never told me that."  
  
"Yeah, she's not one for huge parties or anything. You better hurry up, though, looks like Jin's gonna have more than a black eye if the swelling isn't stopped." As if in response to his name, the windmaster mumbled something under his breath, and his eyelids fluttered a bit.  
  
"Is it possible for him to hemorrhage from a blow like that?" Lark asked, and Kurama looked down at Jin's bruise before replying, "Erm... Yes." Jin's eyes snapped open and shuddered, the sudden jerk of movement made Kurama loose his grip, sending poor Jin for another tumble down the stairs. Kyuro, apparently having slipped in an open window after leaving Bones locked out in the backyard, trotted past, and, after realizing the floor had a heartbeat, looked down. "You know, Jin, this shirt of yours would make a really nice throw rug. What material is it?"  
  
"Shaddup... just ... shut up, dammit."  
  
* * *  
  
"Wow, I'm surprised there are so many people out today." Lyra and Holly sat by one of the huge fountains, each sipping on a fruit smoothie from one of the many cafes. The witch, with her broom leaned against the back of the bench behind her, nodded, and looked around at the multitude of couples wandering the cobblestone streets. "Yep; but it is Valentine's Day."  
  
"Yeah. Hey, Holly?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Didn't you have a date or something today? That's what I heard from my sister at least."  
  
Holly choked on her blueberry/mango drink and Lyra had to pat her on the back before she managed to talk. "No... whatever made you think that?"  
  
"You seemed pretty anxious to leave, and I was wondering if it was because you were meeting someone here."  
  
"Nah, I'm staying single. No time for guys with all the schoolwork we got during the week." The witch counted the papers off on her fingers. "First I have that ten-page research paper on the northern birch for Rachel, a latin and greek roots page for Ryo, a report on the Shogun era demon revolt for Suzuka, and a two-page essay on why students shouldn't fly their brooms to class for Ms. Hisagawa."  
  
"You flew your broom to class?"  
  
"I was running late! And a two-page paper is nothing compared to detention with Suzuka; I hate cleaning up his classroom. Who knows what half the stuff in that classroom of his is." Both girls sniggered a bit, and Lyra could clearly picture the cluttered classroom. "Yeah, his desk makes Ryo look like a neat-freak."  
  
"Is it really that messy?" Both girls jumped, and were lost for words. Standing behind them, with a large, over-stuffed bag slung over his shoulder, was the blond inventor; he raised an eyebrow at the two girls, and patiently waited for them to talk.  
  
"Uh, Suzuka, nice to see you... here... Um, what are you doing in Meuca?"  
  
"Am I not allowed to have a life? Never mind; Shishi asked me to drop some mail off at the post-office for him." Both girls looked clueless, and Holly said, "Why couldn't Samurai-boy do it himself?"  
  
At this, Suzuka untied the bag and revealed its contents to his students; inside was a literal mountain of envelopes. "He gets tons of fan mail this time of year, and this is only half of his replies. He'd never make it to the end of the driveway before being attacked by his fan girls." Both girls nodded, stunned, and Suzuka closed the bag and slung it over his shoulder again.  
  
"You two have fun, now. And stay out of trouble while you're at it, why don't you? I don't want to have to fight any immortals today."  
  
The two girls muttered a "yes sir" in unison, and watched as the inventor carried his heavy load to the post office that was located much farther down the cobblestone road. Blinking her blue eyes as if awakening from a lapse of unconsciousness, Lyra muttered, "...Maybe we should move along."  
  
"Good idea. Who knows who else is hanging around." Holly once again shouldered her broom, and the two girls quickly walked in the opposite direction.  
  
* * *  
  
It seemed too good to be true when his feet finally touched the ground. The wind holding Yusuke up in mid-air suddenly died down, and the Japanese youth lost his already precarious balance. "Agh! Crap!" Yusuke grabbed onto the nearest stationary object, a carved stone post, and glared at the wind master floating above his head.  
  
"Next time, warn me."  
  
"Eh? But Urameshi, its more entertaining this way!"  
  
"Okay you two, stop fighting. We've come here for a reason, so let's not waste time." Kurama, as always, landed gracefully on his feet, his equally red-haired roommate, gleefully smiling, landing right beside the fox. "He's right, Yusuke. Remember when Keiko called you because you weren't going home fer Christmas?"  
  
"Jin, don't even remind me." Yusuke released his death grip hold on the stone post, trying his best to ignore the curious stares from the crowd, and brushed some dust off of his shoulder. Jin sighed and nodded in agreement with Kurama's pitying look; The wind master then shrugged and strode down the crowded streets, leaving his companions behind. "Hey, Jin, where do you think you're going?" Yusuke ran after him, but the demon turned around and flashed him a toothy grin.  
  
"I have to meet someone, so I'll see you later."  
  
A group of twelve or so younger, giggling, girls passed, and the wind master had gone; Yusuke just glared at the spot where his friend had been, and sighed. "Come one, Kurama; at least I can still get something for Keiko," the teen said, turning around to where Kurama was. Well, at least where he was supposed to be; the fox was gone.  
  
"Dammit! Hey, this is totally unfair! Kurama! Jin! You bastards!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Lark, tell me you are never going to do that again."  
  
"I dunno. I thought it was a good idea to hitch a ride on that pickup."  
  
"Yeah, until the damn driver found out we were there!"  
  
"It could've been worse, Rogerik."  
  
"Don't say that, you'll jinx us." The two students walked down the wide, cobblestone street, snapping at each other and earning nervous glances from young girls and women alike as they bickered. Lark shrugged, and cheerfully punched Rogerik in the arm. "Aww, c'mon... don't be such a pessimist."  
  
"Shut up." This time, the friendly punch turned into a stinging thwap over the head. Lark, her gray-blue eyes suddenly dark, glared at her thieving companion. "Look, you better behave. Rachel will kill us if we end up coming home in a squad car."  
  
"Again?" The psychokinetic boy smirked, and Lark met him with another death glare that was slightly below Hiei's. "Let's just not talk about Halloween again, okay?"  
  
"Yes'm"  
  
"And while we're at it, we should might as well find out where Kurama is." Lark scanned the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of her roommate, but to no avail. Rogerik leaned against one of the stone posts that littered the street, and grumbled, "Wasn't Jin supposed to give us a ride anyways?"  
  
"Yeah, but I had to tell him to leave without us. I had some cleaning up to do."  
  
"You suck."  
  
"'Suck what?' is the question. By the way, don't answer that." Both roommates glared at each other again, but Lark's eyes were suddenly focused on a spot right above Rogerik's head. "Hey, it's Kurama!" She grabbed Rogerik's arm and dragged him towards the green-eyed student.  
  
"Oh, rapture..."  
  
* * *  
  
'Let's see... nah, too tall. That one's got way too much on top for my liking; what the hell does that girl think she's doing? Piercings? Spare me...'  
  
Shikyo wandered around the streets like many a feral tomcat, his black tail twitching behind him and his feline ears catching up every snippet of conversation. A group of young students, no older than eleven, walked by, no doubt on a group date. From the happily smiling couples to the blatantly single men and women, human and demon alike, and the screaming red decorations all symbolized one thing - this was no day to be single. So, the English teacher scanned the cobblestone streets for someone, preferably female, to spend Valentine's day with.  
  
His dark eyes locked on a gaggle of profusely gorgeous women. Without a thought, the cat demon found himself moving towards them, then, noticing the aura that clung around them like their expensive perfume, drew back. Those were the type of women you paid for, literally; first, they acted all sweet so you would buy them clothes, jewelry, and go on tropical vacations with them, then they would lord it over you, and, once you were flat broke, leave you. The very thought sent a shudder up Shikyo's lean frame.  
  
"Eh, no. Definitely not." He allowed himself one last shudder, then continued his search through downtown, and making private comments to himself along the way.  
  
"Hm..." his attention was drawn to a teenage girl who was staring at him from high up in the top of one of the small trees that were sometimes planted outside the stores and shops. She was fairly petite in size, with her shoulder-length, curly blonde hair tied with a dark blue ribbon, and was dressed in a crème-colored pant suit, with a delicate gold chain necklace hanging around her neck. Altogether, a nice looking girl, but there was something about the look in her eyes... she didn't look sane.  
  
'I'll keep her in mind... if all else fails, that is.'  
  
Shikyo felt a sharp influx of energy, and looked towards one of the shadowy alleyways, where it was emanating. True to his suspicions, a pair of glowing yellow eyes tore through the shadow, freezing him in place. The cat demon felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle, and his tail puffed out to twice its normal size. The glow dimmed down as the figure stepped out into the sunlight, to reveal a wiry young woman. Her brown hair was wild, frizzy and stiff, and she was dressed in a full-length dress that seemed to be Victorian, yellow and accented with a white sash around the waist; the glow was not from her eyes, but rather from the reflection of light on her coke bottle eyeglasses. She held a plush toy in one arm, and had an even more insane gleam in her eyes than the other girl up in the tree. "Hi, there, kitty cat."  
  
"Erk!" Her paralyzing glare never wavered, and Shikyo futilely tried to escape. These were the types of girls that were scary; they were the type that put sugar in your gas tank if you dumped them.  
  
"What do you say to a date with a lady?"  
  
"Uh, love to, but I gotta go... already taken." The gaze that she held on Shikyo seemed to fade, and the cat scampered away from the insane woman to the safety of a nearby bookstore.  
  
"Well, that could have gone better..."  
  
"Excuse me, sir? Could you please get off of my wing?"  
  
"Eh?" Shikyo looked behind him, and realized that his foot was pinning down a rather beautifully detailed butterfly wing. Faintly realizing that the wing was attached to a person, he nervously apologized. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss..." His dark, almost black, eyes moved up onto the face of the owner of the wing, and his ears perked up. The owner of the voice was a young woman, a rather pretty one at that, and Shikyo was sure he'd seen her around campus before.  
  
"Clarice."  
  
"Um, it's nice to meet you, Clarice."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, Lyra, guess who I found!"  
  
"L-Lark, please, you're chafing my wrist." Kurama, tried his best to dig in his heels to prevent the younger student from dragging him forwards, but it only bruised his wrist even more. Lark smiled back at him, but it was more of a smirk, and she had a conniving look to her stormy eyes. The fox's shoulders slumped; he should of given up long ago, it would have saved him from having his arm pulled off by Lark.  
  
The elder Admarant sister, looked up in surprise, just to see her sibling screech to a halt in front of her and thrust a dazed Kurama forwards. "Well, you two have fun now. Bye!" In a blink of an eye, she was gone. Lyra looked around in a daze, well aware of the curious stares Kurama was attracting. "Oh, um, Kurama, are you okay?"  
  
"J-just fine... just a little woozy." The fox supported himself against a store window, trying to calm his queasy stomach. Lyra stood by him, totally unaware that her former companion, Holly, had disappeared along with Lark. "Maybe we should stop and get some tea or something, it might help."  
  
"Thanks." The two walked in silence, each rather apprehensive about the other, always close but never touching.  
  
"Ooh, I am good..."  
  
"Lark, you're full of yourself." Rogerik was once again leaning on a lamppost, this time glaring at the water manipulator as he took a swig from his bottle of Sprite. Lark, having heard this loud and clear, summoned an orb of water in her palm and whipped around to face her roommate. Holly, who had disappeared into the sky on her broom when Lyra had been occupied with helping Kurama, floated down gently, just in time to watch the two start squirting soda and water at each other.  
  
"...I take it you're enjoying yourselves." The comment was wry and spoken in a faint accent, and all three of them looked up to see Jin floating above their heads, smirking. Holly leaned back on her broom, balancing without the use of her hands, and shrugged. "At least they're having fun." Both Rogerik and Lark shared dirty glances at each other, each of them ready to attack again at the slightest notice, but Jin interrupted them.  
  
"Helen's around; last I saw her, she was hiding in an alleyway near where Lyra and Kurama are headin'." Rogerik recapped his Sprite and took on a buisiness-like tone in his voice.  
  
"I thought as much. Who wants to go stop her?"  
  
No one answered, but the wind master, as soon as his back was turned, felt three pairs of eyes staring at the back of his skull. The demon turned around, his eye brow twitching and his blue eyes holding a suspicious glint to them. "No."  
  
"Please? Jin, be a buddy!"  
  
"No."  
  
More pitiful stares.  
  
"I am NOT going after that- that wench! And that's final, too," He added, with an affirmative nod of his head.  
  
Ten minutes later, Jin found himself tracking down the charms specialist. "Crud; you'd think I'd be able to find her from up here. Well, at least Kurama and Lyra are okay." The red headed demon levitated above even the highest spires of The Temple of the Goddess, his blue eyes squinted some because the afternoon sun reflected brightly off of the white plaster and glass windows below him. "Eh, might as well take a break." Sitting Indian- style in the air, he floated down gently to the top spire of the temple, and leaned against the white plaster wall.  
  
"Your water, miss?"  
  
"Oh, thank you sir." Lyra gratefully took the glass from the waiter's hand, and took a sip from it. Kurama, sitting across the table from her, nodded his thanks as the waiter placed a bowl of salad in front of him. Stabbing a cherry tomato with his fork, the fox stared off into space; something didn't quite feel right.  
  
"Kurama? Hey, Kurama, are you feeling okay?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, yes I'm fine, really." He gave a faint smile, and Lyra raised an eyebrow at his obviously faked cheerfulness.  
  
"You're still upset about last week, aren't you? Not that I blame you or anything-"  
  
"No, that's not it; trust me. I just get the feeling that something horrible is about to happen." He hadn't meant to interrupt her, but the dark aura kept coming closer and closer; it was homing in on them. There was an awkward silence that lasted for a minute or two, and Kurama uneasily ate his salad. The aura was coming closer, closer; he could even sense Lyra's normally peaceful aura fade away, lost in the much stronger sense of trouble brewing. She shivered, and looked at the cobblestone path beyond the roped-off outside dining area the café provided. Almost everyone on the street could sense the path of energy, and quickly moved off, albeit in a rather inconspicuous manner. There was a moment of silence from everyone, then the cover of one of the manholes blew completely off, and a dark yellow blast of energy poured out of it like a geyser. It died down as soon as it had started, and the iron manhole cover dropped with a metallic clang on the street, not three feet away from the passage to Meuca's sewer system.  
  
It had happened so quickly, Lyra hadn't the time to react, and she found herself being shielded by a suddenly aggressive Kurama. In less than a minute, conversation between the civilians and other diners continued, leaving the two students stunned.  
  
"Kurama, next time you get a feeling like that, maybe you shouldn't keep it to yourself."  
  
"Yes, I suppose they do end up coming true more often than not, I'm afraid."  
  
'My disguise is perfect! They'll never know it was me!' Helen, dressed in a waitress uniform, stepped cautiously between the crowded tables, hoisting a serving tray high over her head. Her hair had been tied up in a tight bun and she was wearing a pair of wire-frame glasses as she came up to the student's table. Surprisingly, neither Kurama nor Lyra seemed to notice her, perhaps too shaken by what had just happened a mere few minutes ago.  
  
"Ah, sir, miss, the barkeep sent these drinks to you; on the house." She bowed down low, faking a Chinese accent, and placed the two glasses in front of the fox and water manipulator. "Oh, um-" Helen bowed down low again, and, with a rather flashy exit, sprung off to go "serve" another patron. "-Thanks..."  
  
"That waitress seemed oddly familiar..."  
  
"Kurama, stop being so cynical and relax for once. Please?" The fox stopped oring holes in the back of the waitress' skull and sighed. "Sorry; you're right, I do need a break."  
  
* * *  
  
And, high above, happily sleeping through the afternoon on the temple spire, was Jin. The wind master twitched one ear in annoyance at the noise from down below, but refused to wake up; instead, he just grumbled something in Gaelic, and settled in a more comfortable position.  
  
"Jin? Um, Jin, you did take care of Helen, right?"  
  
There was only a soft growl from the snoozing demon, and Holly shook her head in exasperation. "Jin, don't tell me you plan on letting Helen screw things up while you sleep."  
  
"G'way..." Jin gave a half-hearted shooing gesture, and the witch leaned closer and tugged on one of his elven ears. "Up and at 'em, Jin." The demon grumbled again, and a strong gust of wind knocked away the antique broomstick and its youthful rider. "Jin, that is enough! Wake up this instant!" Holly landed on the plaster spire, clutching onto the wooden railing so tightly her knuckles were a pale white, and hefted her broom on her shoulder. Her command was met with another lazy swipe, and she choked up on the handle of her broomstick, holding it as if making a threat. "Jin, wake up now."  
  
There was no reply. Holly, having not much else of a choice, gave her broom a few test swings. "I hate to have to get physical, but if it's the only way to get you up off your ass...  
  
Down below, the passerby could clearly hear a pained yelp coming from the roof of the temple.  
  
"That hurt, lass." Jin was wide awake, and floating above his roommate while rubbing the top of his head. The broom hadn't caused too much damage, and the pain had faded away soon enough, but the witch was in no mood for pity.  
  
"Jin, have you been keeping an eye on Helen?"  
  
"Who?" Holly angrily glared at him, her green eyes dangerously narrowed, and the demon suddenly remembered just why he wasn't on campus grounds. "Oh, right, Helen. She's, um... well..."  
  
"You didn't find her, did you?" There was a bit of nervous chuckling from the usually cheerful youkai, and Jin sweatdropped as he replied, "Uh, no, I didn't."  
  
"Jin..." Holly's voice was barely more than a whisper, and Jin backpedaled as fast as he could. "But, I'm looking for her right now. Yep, I gotta go. See 'ya!" The wind picked up, and the shinobi was out of sight in mere seconds.  
  
* * *  
  
She had to keep moving. Any minute now, those two would piece together her stolen disguise and fake accent, and it would be all over for her. But, it would be well worth it once Kurama managed to get even a sip of that reversal potion. Nearly dancing in the middle of the street, Helen rounded around a corner, only to bump into a rather hard surface.  
  
"Well, what do we have here? A jealous little girl?" The hard surface was a fairly tall demon, with a mess of wild red hair, bright blue eyes, and a small white horn poking out from his bangs. The blonde young woman recoiled from the demon, fear emanating from almost every essence of her being, and the taller demon cringed at her fearful aura.  
  
"Don't you dare come near me, unless you want to suffer serious pain." Helen's fear instantly changed to anger, and Jin backed away from her, but locked her in place with a torrent of air pressure. "Struggle all you want, lass; just stay out of Kurama's way today."  
  
"Let me go, you lowlife! Picking on a young, defenseless girl; the shame!"  
  
"Defenseless? Helen, you might as well stop hiding that holy charm underneath your jacket." The straight-A student glared, but let the purified slip of paper fall to the cobblestone street. Jin smiled, his fangs brilliantly white, and waved to the upset girl as he turned and left. "Be good now, Helen. I might come back later and let you go."  
  
* * *  
  
The drinks had a strange scent to them, this Kurama noticed despite his human body, and the fox refused to take even so much as a sip from the glass. Lyra, her suspicion heightened not only by the explosion of energy, but also the strangely familiar waitress. "We should probably leave before anything worse happens."  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking. I'm sure this café takes credit, hm?" The fox held out a small gold-colored card, and Lyra's eyes widened. "When did you pick up a credit card?"  
  
"It came with my assignment here." Kurama smiled, and waved down a passing waiter. It was only a few minutes before the bill was brought back, and the two students left for the tram station.  
  
"No! You idiots; you're not supposed to just get up and go right home!"  
  
"Will you stop talking to yourself, it's starting to freak me out."  
  
"Shut up you." There was another blast of water, and the thief was left in the middle of the alleyway, soaked to the bone. Lark stood there, her eyes positively fiery, until a wave of inspiration hit her. "Rogerik, I think I have an idea."  
  
"...Thought I smelled something burning."  
  
"Shut up and listen- this plan is fool proof."  
  
The streets were fairly quiet; an unnerving event considering that it was only three in the afternoon and the downtown area was usually packed at this time of day. No children played by the large marble fountain that graced the square ahead of Lyra and Kurama, and the stone benches that surrounded it were empty; even the mixture of youki and reiki that surrounded the city civilians was subdued.  
  
"Wow... this is weird."  
  
"I don't really think so." The redhead walked a little behind Lyra, his senses always alert in case the dangerous entity from before at the café appeared again. Suddenly, the noise of a small hand bell chimed, causing the high-strung student to jump in surprise. The chime came from a street corner, where a young woman in a salvation army uniform stood, a collection bucket by her feet.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, miss, maybe could you donate to the Meuca branch homeless shelter? We've been through quite a tough spot over the winter." Her dark brown eyes looked up at them hopefully from behind a pair of glasses, and her long chestnut-colored hair was tied up in a complex French braid.  
  
"Oh, um, I don't see why not." Lyra pulled out a few dollar bills from her pocket, and dropped them in nearly empty bucket with a small smile. The woman smiled; Lyra was such a sucker for community service, her kindness was often her own weakness. She politely nodded and smiled, then passed two small wrapped chocolates to the pair.  
  
"Please, have a nice Valentine's Day, and thank you for your donation."  
  
"Yay! With those love-potion-infused chocolates, they're bound to fall for each other." Lark happily grinned as she undid the braid in her hair and rinsed out the dye with a torrent of water. "Well, don't you think it went well?"  
  
"For a half-baked plan, yes." Rogerik sat by a cardboard box that lay half- open on the street, filled with decoratively wrapped chocolates. "If I have to tie another ribbon, don't be surprised to see your diary up on the internet for everyone to see."  
  
"You couldn't; that lock is impossible to break into." She smugly smirked, and a pair of gray-green eyes locked with her own. Rogerik picked up one of the wrapped candies, and glanced over at Lark. "I doubt any lock can beat me."  
  
"I'm going to find one that can, just to spite you."  
  
"You would do that." The thief was about to take a bite out of a chocolate, when a sudden burst of energy wove its way from below the streets. A rattling, clanking racket came from a trembling manhole cover, and, as both Rogerik and Lark watched, the iron lid blasted up twenty feet into the air, propelled by a blast of yellow light and muddy water. A flash of red shone from amid the muck, and there was a shrieking growl as the spout of water and energy died down, only to burst up again twenty feet away at the next manhole cover.  
  
"Um, Lark, when you said cleaning up, you meant..."  
  
"Just forget about it and run." The water manipulator grabbed his wrist and, the thief being dragged along behind her, ran down the cobbled streets away from the surge of energy, carrying a box of the un-tampered chocolates under her arm.  
  
* * *  
  
"Have nice day, sir. Good bye!" The oriental woman bowed to Yusuke, and handed him the bag containing the bracelet the Japanese boy had been suckered into buying for Keiko. He faked a happy, "thanks" and slipped out the front door, the bells on the door chiming behind him. Once outside and out of view of the store owner, the youth flipped the birdie at the bright red door, but a sudden shiver passed through Yusuke's spine. His brown eyes wide, the spirit detective looked down towards the main plaza and muttered, "What was that..?" His question was left dangling in the wind as a body slammed into his, then continued running, leaving Yusuke sprawled out on the stone street, his eyes nothing but swirls.  
  
The tremors continued down the street, and the charge of energy moved at surprising speed through the underground pipes; and the human above followed as fast as she could. Whatever the energy was, it had released her from that damned demon's pressurized shackles, and that meant she still had a chance to ruin Kurama. All it took was the small glass vial that she had in her jacket pocket.  
  
* * *  
  
Lyra could feel it - a violent, troublesome force. It swam towards them, growing faster with every passing second, and she finally knew what Kurama had sensed back at the café. Her blue eyes wide, she stepped away from the huge marble fountain that she and the fox had taken a minute to rest upon; Kurama unconsciously reached for the rose hidden in his long red hair.  
  
"Stop right there, you two!"  
  
Helen ran up to them, with a small glass vial clutched in her hand. Her blue eyes were narrowed, and it looked like she had been stuck in the middle of a tornado. "If I can't have you Kurama, I won't let anyone else, either!" The cork was popped off, and Helen reared her arm back, and whipped the glass container holding the purple liquid at the redhead.  
  
An earth-shattering crack resounded throughout the plaza, echoing off of the stone and plaster buildings, and the marble fountain split open as a long black blur shot from the now shattered pipe. Water burst everywhere, and a row of sharp teeth grazed against the tiny glass bottle before clutching onto it, making the purple liquid splatter all over the black muzzle and long whiskers. The crack was drowned out by a long, shrill, shriek, and the black blur took form as a long, black, furred creature. Sharp spines contrasted from the black fur, the fin contrasting to the glossy black fur in a shimmering rainbow of cerulean, violet, and sea green, complimenting the silver spines.  
  
Four red eyes shone from the dark head, and another set of fins grew from the creature's front legs, which were short and hosted a set of razor-sharp claws. Kurama barely had time to move Lyra out of the way as the long, furred, whip-like tail crushed the worn stones that made up the street, leaving a deep crater in the ground.  
  
"W-what is that thing?!" Helen shrieked and couldn't move a step, the glowing orbs that served as the monster's eyes were too intimidating, and the energy that came from it was overwhelming. A low growl escaped from its throat, and a long tongue licked up the remains of the reversal potion from its fur. As the sewer creature was busy cleaning its fur, Kurama protectively moved Lyra to the side while drawing the rose from his hair. "Stay here, I'll take care of-"  
  
The movement from Kurama's rose caught one of the reflective, glowing eyes, and the monster stopped cleaning his fur, charging at the fox in a rush of glossy fur and translucent, rainbow fins. In a matter of milliseconds, the long tail wrapped around the fox, lifting him high in the air and up to eye level of the monster. The growls deepened in tone, saliva dripping from the jaws, blood red eyes glowing eerily even in the sunlight. Kurama closed his green eyes, preparing himself for a rather gruesome end... but it never came. The jaws halted merely five inches from his face, the tail still holding him tightly, but more like it was to keep him from falling the fifteen feet to the ground rather than to hold him still while his headless body squirmed in the tight coils.  
  
"Er... now what was I doing..?"  
  
Kurama opened his eyes, and stared straight into four dark blood red eyes, but these orbs were filled not with bloodlust, but innocent confusion. Sensing a chance to get away, he calmly stated, "You were letting me down."  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. There ya go, chap." Well, now that was strange. It had an English accent. But, the creature gently placed Kurama on the ground, and withdrew its strong, thick tail.  
  
"You stupid ...thing!" The blonde charm specialist ran up, and cursed at the large monster, who merely looked down at her with a twinge of annoyance in its four red eyes. "What an bothersome little creature. Shall I dispose of her, sir?"  
  
"If you wish; please don't injure her though."  
  
"Oh course." The tail once again came down, this time binding around Helen's waist and lifting her high up in the air, then depositing her atop the peak of the marble fountain, or what was left of it. The large head then turned back to the fox and water manipulator, and bowed down before the two. "My pleasure, sir." One of his four eyes fell upon the stunned Lyra, and the monster smiled, his sharp teeth amazingly white. "and, m'lady, please allow me to escort you home. It's impolite to let a young woman like yourself walk alone on such a lovely day."  
  
Lyra blushed, and slowly, if barely, nodded her head. "Um... sure." The monster held out one long spine, and Lyra placed her hand on it. Nodding his large head, the monster scooped up a confused Kurama with his multi- tasking tail and gently led Lyra down the uneven streets.  
  
* * *  
  
"That turned out better than I expected." Lark walked down the wooden pier of the Meuca marina, unwrapping a chocolate as she walked. Rogerik leaned over the railing, watching the many sailboats calmly glide across the bright blue water. "I suppose." He turned around and, leaning against the railing for support, stared straight into his roommate's stormy eyes. "But, don't go messing in someone else's love life again."  
  
He expected a glare or a sharp remark, but Lark joined him on the railing instead. "I just can't help it; watching those two make ga-ga eyes over each other and not even talk, well, it drives me a tad crazy."  
  
"You're already there."  
  
"You're not much better. Why do you even chase after all those girls anyways?" Rogerik glanced over at her, and sighed. "I've stopped lately."  
  
"Yeah, but isn't there a girl or something that you feel like staying with? Someone that you want over every other person out there?" There was an awkward silence, and Rogerik absent-mindedly unwrapped one of the chocolates from his leather pilot's jacket.  
  
"I don't really know... I mean, I guess I'm still looking."  
  
"Right..." Lark broke off a chunk of the chocolate, and tossed it out into the water, watching as a seagull dived down and snatched it up with its large yellow beak. Rogerik just tossed the entire piece of candy on the dock, and the two watched as a flock of greedy gulls squabbled over it. Lark broke off another piece, and continued to feed the gulls while Rogerik watched. Finally getting bored, and straightened up and started to walk down the dock. "Come on, we better get going. Lyra and Kurama will probably get suspicious if we aren't there when the get home."  
  
"Right." Lark followed Rogerik, tossing the gulls the last piece of chocolate as she left the wooden dock. Running so she could catch up with him, she heard the flapping of wings, and looked behind her. What she saw nearly frightened her enough to latch onto the thief.  
  
Behind them was the entire flock of seagulls, each one with literal hearts in their beady black eyes.  
  
"Uh, Rogerik?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Run."  
  
"Hm?" He glanced over his shoulder, and jumped in surprise. Nodding in agreement, the thief grabbed onto Lark's wrist and broke into a full run.  
  
"CRAP!"  
  
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KKC: Well, I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. ^ ^;;  
  
Grimoire: Three weeks... three...  
  
KKC: But, I made up for it with a really long chapter.  
  
Grimoire: ...Rabid lovesick seagulls... what has happened to your head?  
  
KKC: -.- Review. Hopefully, next chapter should come sooner. But, unfortunately, it won't be as long. Twenty pages; I'm surprised that the broadband isn't too much for me to update. ^ ^;; Oh, and happy St. Patrick's day. 


	31. Just when you thought it was safe

Well, I told 'ya I'd update sooner this time around. And, to bring us back from the positive weirdness of the academy's February antics, I was thinking of answering some reviews, which I haven't done in like... um... twenty-six or so chapters. ^ ^;; Eh, oh well.  
  
To Ryu-sama: Yeah, I know it was weird. Mind you, after deciding not to worry about the deadline, I took some time off to work out a few kinks in the story line and put in quality effort to the finished chapter; however, I soon found myself three weeks overdue and with only a page and a half of the actual 30th chapter. Resolving to do something, I took a full two days to type out the finished 20-page chapter, and by then I was running on empty since my supply of caffeine chewing gum ran out. Therefore, the spelling errors and holes come into play. Sorry 'bout that. ^ ^;; My sister was just as tired as I was on Sunday evening, so she didn't do that good of a job proofreading it. To straighten things out for you, and everyone else out there, the monster is a bit of a rat demon/sea serpent thing; Remember that head that first came out of Lark's cooking pot, with four glowing eyes and a scream that would make you curl up on the floor and cradle your bleeding ears? That's it. He... ~grew~ a bit during his four-hour run through the city sewers. Hint: Don't ever shove off the myth that there are twelve- foot-long crocs in the sewers; either you haven't played the futurama game for PS2, or you live in town where the sewerage isn't more radioactive than Plutonium.  
  
To Ryuu no Furui Yami: Same excuse for weirdness applies, Ryuu-chan. But, I was truly out of ideas for a humorous end until I went down to the willows with my dad and stepbrothers. Hungry gulls are scary, which is why its fun to bait them with Chinese chicken wings, make them perform a dazzling array of aerial maneuvers, and sell tickets for admittance to gullible little children. *smirks evilly* Don't worry, I use this only as a last resort when I need quarters for the arcade. Oh, and Rogerik and Lark made it back alright, although the gulls hung around for a good hour, until Yusuke came home and proceeded to try and shoot every single one out of the sky with his Rei gun. If it were for Yusuke, maybe that movie "The Birds" might have ended differently.  
  
In other news, I'm looking for some characters if you folks wanna send in any. Just look below at the bottom of this chapter.  
  
Also, if the spelling and grammar seems to be a bit off, it's because I'm typing one-handed. I apparently pissed off Atauro, and he took it out on my left hand, which is now wrapped in a gel ice pack to numb the excruciating pain; At least I can still draw.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Stop reminding me.  
  
Quote of the Week: "And you - well, you scare me most of all." -Mr. K, in Algebra, trying to explain y = mx + b to Ian. Good times...  
  
Oh, and feel the power of my new border. It's all border-y. (It's also looks kinda like plaid. Scaaary...)  
  
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That damn brace. At least the cast was off, but his wrist was still immobilized by a tightly wrapped gel and fabric brace that Kurama had insisted he wear. 'Damn fox. Curse him and that baka horse.' The demon silently swore in his head, watching the other students from his high perch in an ancient sycamore tree that shaded the brick path, which wound its way down to the main offices and many of the other classrooms.  
  
Students passed by below, blissfully unaware of the frustrated time bomb above them, chatting and fooling around between classes. Two of these students, which the three-eyed demon regretted knowing, were whispering among themselves and fooling around with a small box. Deciding he had nothing better to do, the skilled fighter disappeared from his old perch and appeared behind the two students with a silent sneer.  
  
"What are you two bakas doing this time?"  
  
Both the cat-demon and blond-haired teen jumped in surprise, the former's tail puffing up to a nearly unseen-of size, and Justin replied hotly, "Get out of here Hiei." The Jaganshi glared at them, and laid his eyes upon the package that Justin had hastily stowed in his bag. He disappeared once again, only to reappear in front of them with the package in hand. Reading the label, Hiei grimaced and tossed it over his shoulder, leaving the two students to fumble for it.  
  
"What are you planning to do with that shit?" The demon finally asked, after they had walked a bit. Lyonell nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his tawny head, but Justin's eyes seemed to flare up. "Oh, it'll be some very deep shit, indeed. Suzuka is gonna have to sit down for this, and he won't be getting up in a very long time."  
  
"...You're sick. I don't know why those idiots I live with even bother to deal with you."  
  
"Hey, you get what's coming to you. A few tablets in the bastard's coffee, and he won't be the wiser until its too late." Justin smirked at Hiei's retreating the back, and Lyonell smacked his forehead in exasperation at his two friends. Grabbing onto his classmate's arm, the cat twin forcefully dragged Justin away from the Jaganshi and they stalked off to their History teacher's classroom.  
  
Over the two or so months, Suzuka had finally managed to transport most of his junk to the classroom, of which its bookshelves were already bulging with masses of written material, many by the vain inventor himself, and a lovely collection of random mechanical pieces were piled in one of the far corners of the large room. Thankfully, the teacher was nowhere in sight. Lyonell stood outside the wooden door, tricking other students away as Justin performed his dirty deed, and it was indeed dirty, before Suzuka came back.  
  
The blond man's coffee mug stood on the cluttered desk, acting as a paperweight for a huge stack of manuscripts; taking a few individually- wrapped pouches out of the small cardboard box that was stowed in his backpack, Justin unwrapped three of them and dropped them in the still steaming coffee, stirring them in with a coffee-stained teaspoon that had been left in the pencil holder on Suzuka's desk. The door in the back began to creak as the brass knob turned of its own accord, and Justin hastily tossed the empty wrappers in the trash before scampering out into the main hall of the brick building that hosted many of the classrooms. 'No more dunkings for me, today,' was all that went through the youth's head, and the two students pretended to patiently wait for the rest of their classmates to show up.  
  
"Justin, Lyonell, what are you doing here so early?" Rogerik squeezed his way up the wooden stairs, staying just ahead of Yusuke, and managed to avoid a swipe from an angry female student; no doubt one he had been harassing in the halls. More nervous laughter from the green-eyed cat, but Justin merely faked a glare and bored holes into their heads. "None of your business." Taking on a lighter tone, he smiled and asked, "How are those birds doing?"  
  
"Don't even mention the damned birds."  
  
"What; I thought you wanted a bunch of chicks after you."  
  
"Yes, but preferably without feathers!" The thief glared daggers at his friend, only to accidentally be whacked over the head with a rather heavy book bag as Elaine used her wings to fly over the crowd of academy students. Yusuke wasn't too far behind, and managed to erect a shield of electrified spirit energy if anyone got too close to him, thereby cutting himself a path through.  
  
"Well, I leave Japan because it's too congested, and what do I get? A horde of over two-thousand students crowded in one hallway."  
  
"Face it Yusuke; you just can't win."  
  
"Aww, Rogerik, don't be such a pessimist. If his luck was as bad as you say it is, he'd be dead by now." Replied Justin with a grin.  
  
"You know, I just love when you idiots talk like I'm not even here." The spirit detective pushed his way past a throng of younger students, and finally reached the front door of Suzuka's class. Noticing something was wrong, Yusuke looked worriedly at his companions. "Is it just me, or is Justin excessively happy for this time of day?"  
  
"Hey, maybe he's finally getting used to having Suzuka as a teacher," Lyonell said, shrugging his shoulders and slipping in the door, just as the blond inventor was coming up the stairs with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. By the time Suzuka was in the classroom, his students were all in their respective seats; putting the bag down by his overly-cluttered desk, the demon picked up the coffee mug and took a brief sip, then placed it back down so it could continue to serve its duty as a paperweight.  
  
"Well, I trust that you all finished the five-page research paper that I assigned." He took another sip of coffee, and Yusuke was surprised to see a smile - no, a malicious sneer - appear upon Justin's face. Whatever had the teen in such a good mood, the spirit detective knew he definitely wanted no part in it; of course, things were never that simple.  
  
With a few scattered complaints from around the spacious classroom, the papers were passed up, and the history teacher collected them, rifling through the reports to check he had all of the papers. He flipped through a second time, and gave Yusuke what seemed to be a cross between of a glare and a smirk. "Yusuke, where's yours?"  
  
"I forgot it. No big deal, I'll pass it in next class." The tantei leaned back in his desk, folding his hands behind his head and glaring back at the demon.  
  
"You said that about the homework assignment I gave you two weeks ago, also. It's either in my mailbox by midnight tonight or you get a zero." He put the reports in a manilla folder, then tossed the folder on his desk until he could correct them later that day. Crossing his arms, the tall man leaned against his desk and, in a rather annoyed voice, said, "Anyways, I'm sure you're all thrilled to hear that we have a quiz today. Due to that simpleton of a headmaster, I'm forced to follow a curriculum and totally ignore all of your own personal opinions on the matter. Now doesn't that sound fun?"  
  
More groans. At this, Suzuka smiled.  
  
"I thought so." He faked a cheerful attitude while surveying his somber students, and continued. "Meaning, we have to finish the rest of this section instead of entertaining ourselves by whatever pathetic means we can; that means to stop dissecting that security alarm in the back corner, Rogerik. Reconnect those wires this minute and put the casing back on before I give you a detention slip."  
  
The thief sheepishly shrugged, and proceeded to put the alarm back together, ignoring the glances from other students; Suzuka forcefully slapped his fist down on the desk of a gossiping female students, startling his other charges from the blond psychic's workings. "Trust me, it's a very tempting prospect; I bet Shikyo and Ryo close to twenty dollars that I would have the detention hall filled by one o'clock this afternoon." Many of the teens recoiled away from Suzuka, a look of fear on their faces at the prospect of detention, but Yusuke stood his ground, watching Justin out of the corner of his eye.  
  
It seemed like he was waiting for something. Scary; scary indeed.  
  
The inventor unzipped his duffel bag and took out a dark brown folder, flipping it open and handing out a large pile of four-page packets to pass around the class. "These tests have to be done by the end of this period, otherwise we won't be able to take those notes about the Netherworld's rebellion against Reikai." There was a murmur throughout the class, and Yusuke's brown eyes held a faint bit of recognition of the name. The Netherworld... why did something tell the detective that the former demon's hell wasn't in the curriculum? Suzuka leaned back on his desk and, noticing his charges were still gossiping instead of doing their work, glared angrily at them.  
  
"Stop chattering and get writing. Now."  
  
Elaine "eep"-ed, once again hiding behind the gleefully waiting Justin, her translucent wings shimmering in the pale late-winter light, and immediately started scribbling down the answers. There was something wrong, however, and most of the students seemed to notice this as they filled out the tests. Suzuka, once mirthfully glaring at anyone who slacked, was now looking a bit sick; his face unusually pale and his eyes held a slightly pained look to them. With a sudden stroke of realization, Yusuke noticed this must have been what Justin had been waiting for, because the boy's face was practically split in two by a demonic, maniacal grin.  
  
Enma help Suzuka, the poor bastard.  
  
Of course, Enma probably couldn't have interfered with Suzuka's current stockpile of bad karma, because the teacher silently left the classroom in a rush. He didn't come back in; even as the final bell for the period rang, the inventor remained missing. Instead, a rather perturbed cat-demon stepped in; his green eyes barely slits and black tail thrashing angrily behind him. Lyonell, from his seat by Rogerik, took one long stare at the young man, put two and two together from the descriptions his twin had given him about the newest teacher at the academy, and came with a final answer.  
  
"Shikyo."  
  
Justin nodded his head, still grinning like a fool at his "poor" teacher's sudden illness to notice that the feline's dark eyes were staring straight at him, and seemed to hold a mirthful look as his sharp canine teeth showed up brilliantly against his ebony hair and fur in a small smile.  
  
"Lyonell Aurata, Justin St.Pierre; I do believe Suzuka would like a word with the two of you." When neither teen moved, the cat sighed in exhasperation and grabbed Justin by the shoulder and Lyonell by the tip of one of his tawny, furred ears. "He meant within the next twenty-five minutes, so I suggest you get a move on before he suspends you for being tardy. He's being held in the infirmary down by the main offices." Pushing them out the door, Shikyo watched them hurry down the cramped hall before turning to the rest of the class. "Leave your tests on his...desk..." His dark eyes noticed the pile of paperwork and schoolwork that had piled up on the piece of furniture, blocking any view of it's once wooden body, and sweatdropped. "Scratch that, I'll just collect them once you're gone."  
  
* * *  
  
She couldn't believe it.  
  
After all those weeks of searching and spending the night at the cheap inn down by the harbor, she finally had her own home. Truthfully, it wasn't much to look at, as most run-down houses are, but it was hers and it was home. Despite the multiple holes in the roof, broken windows, and crumbling chimney, it definitely beat an apartment.  
  
Yukimi was finally a homeowner.  
  
Even when she had studied with her own teacher, she had never really owned any of the books or equipment, which had made it all the easier to pick up and leave, but now she had her own house. Reon, curled up into a gray, snoozing ball of fur, yawned and opened his green eyes, only to stop in mid- yawn and stare in wonder. In the neglected, dilapidated old gardens, robins and blue jays fluttered from branch to branch of the old oak tree that shaded the western corner of the yard, and a small flock of sparrows were clustered on the ground, searching for any early-spring insects, while a small field-mouse stood hunched over on a jagged chunk of concrete cinderblock, busily gnawing away at an acorn.  
  
With merely a pleased meow, the young cat jumped from his owner's arms and prowled through his new yard at a healthy trot, leaving Yukimi to explore (and clean) the old house on her own. Of course, some people just had to spoil an occasion such as this.  
  
"Yukimi, didn't you check out the house before you bought it?" The icemaster stood behind the black-haired dragon specialist, his frosty eyes narrowed in suspicion at the abandoned building. Yukimi sighed, and dragged Touya past the picket fence and into the yard, paying mind to the fact that maybe she should have had a proper walk-through of the building first. Still, she was in no mood for pessimism. "Of course I did, Touya. I knew it was a crap-box; but that means I can rebuild it to my liking. Besides, the property taxes are nearly nothing, along with the water bill, electric bill, sewerage."  
  
"That could be because it hasn't been inhabited since the 1890's, and your drinking water comes from an old well in the backyard."  
  
"But, it's all mine, and that's all that matters."  
  
Silence, then, "I hope you know what you're setting yourself up for, Yukimi."  
  
"Of course! If worse comes to worse, I can always hire a few students; and I know you, Chuu, Rinku, and the rest of the guys would love to help restore the place."  
  
"...Maybe you should just knock it down and build the house from scratch?" Touya cautiously walked down the stone pathway, freezing solid a host of nasty-looking weeds that had mysteriously seemed to latch onto his ankles. Yukimi cheerily followed, and patted the porch railing affectionately. "I'm sure there's no need for that. In fact, this house is very sturdy and safe."  
  
Of course, that was when the entire front porch chose that moment to collapse upon itself. The two of them finally managed to stop choking from the overwhelming dust, and Touya merely gave the young woman a cold stare.  
  
"Um... that wasn't supposed to happen."  
  
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Kurama: *takes off ice-pack and checks KKC's hand* Good, its doing better.  
  
KKC: Hm? *looks at bite marks* Oh, yeah... it isn't as green now.  
  
Grimoire: Yes... now its more purplish.  
  
Stephanie: What? What's purple? *walks over, and gasps at KKC's hand* A flesh wound!  
  
Kurama: *comfortingly* Don't worry, Stephanie-san; it's not that bad.  
  
Stephanie:*pokes KKC's wounded hand* I want to poke it. *pokes hand again*  
  
KKC: Hey! Stop that! The ice is wearing off and I can feel it now. OW! *slaps Stephanie's hand away* That hurt, dammit!  
  
Stephanie: *whining* But I wanna poke it! Pleeeaaassseee?  
  
KKC: No! Go'way! *runs away from Stephanie, who chases after her*  
  
Stephanie: Come back! Let me poke your mangled hand!  
  
Grimoire: -_- *anime sigh* And yet again...  
  
Kurama: Well, at least they can't cause too much trouble, right? ^ ^;;  
  
Oh, and just because I'm being chased by my uncompassionate friend doesn't mean that I can't take in OCs. Here's the basic info I need:  
  
Name- (Um... I really don't think I need to explain this for you guys - except it'd be nice to give your character a last name.) Age- (The age of the character. It often determines what level classes they take or if they're a student, teacher, or staff member) Gender- (I'm hoping I don't need to explain this either.) Race- (Human, demon, fairy, faun, elf, centaur, evil-swamp-thing-from-the- dimension-Xyquusil; whatever pleases you.) Appearance- (what you look like, eye color, hair, clothing, accessories, any other things such as height or weight [or what build the character has] or instinctive feature.) Personality- (How your character acts around others or in general. For instance, Lark is high-strung around some of the guys [Rogerik is a good example], but is fairly laid back when around her sister and her female friends.) Other- (any classes or relationships they might share with existing characters, jobs, abilities they might have, their majors, familiars or family, and whether they live in a dorm or commute between the academy and Meuca.)  
  
Yep, that about fits it. Unfortunately, I can' t guarantee to pair up an OC with an existing character (although Shishiwakamaru is free, as well as some of my OCs - like Justin, Lyonell, and... um... Shane [?].); if you want to talk to me so I can portray your character correctly in the story, or try and force a few sneak previews out of the author, feel free to e- mail or IM me. I'm usually on IM between 4 & 6 Pm (Eastern time) on weekdays; but please tell me your author name if you do, so I don't freak out and accidentally block you out. It's happened more than once, but, thankfully, the program will allow me to talk with Eddie now that he's stopped trying to hack into my computer.  
  
Erm... either way, have fun creating your OC. No, really, have fun. As Shikyo and Ryuu no Furui Yami already know, I take great liberties with said reader-sent characters, so don't be too hurt if they end up in a few unfortunate mishaps (Mostly small stuff. If it's anything major, I'll e- mail you).  
  
Oh, and a special thanks if anyone guesses what Justin did to Suzuka-san's coffee. In fact, whoever gets it right gets to pick the next wheel-of- torture victim. (If it's more than one person, I'll pick the name randomly through some form of lots.) So, until next time, Ciao. 


	32. Giant killer venus flytraps

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of the reader-sent OCs that you might notice in here.  
  
Quote of the week: "It's alright! The ice cream is okay, and that's all that matters!" -Me, falling up the stairs. o.o;;  
  
Well, I'm surprised no one managed to figure out what Justin put in Suzuka's coffee. Funny thing, considering I had put quite a few clues hinting at what had happened to poor Suzuka. (Then again, the only one that even guessed was Ryu-sama, so... yeah.)  
  
Here's a hint from last chapter, if anyone wants to take another shot at it:  
  
"Oh, it'll be some very deep shit, indeed. Suzuka is gonna have to sit down for this, and he won't be getting up in a very long time."  
  
Use your imagination folks; it isn't nearly as deadly as Anthrax, E. coli bacteria, or some science project gone-wrong.  
  
By the way, glad you like my story Pega-corn, really. As well as thanks for the OCs from all who reviewed; I needed a few people for the April vacation trip. Also, my little brother reviewed. Cute, ne? ^ ^;;  
  
Now, behold the plaid-ness! (I love this new separator. ^-^ )  
  
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The infirmary was shockingly white; white walls, white sheets, white linoleum floor. The staunch look reminded Justin of a hospital; namely, the one hospital his parents had kept him at before he was sent to the academy nearly four years ago. He didn't really remember much from after he fell down the staircase in his uncle's old house; all three flights, down like the klutz he was. Back then, if he wasn't on a skateboard, he couldn't walk without tripping over his own feet. But that one trip decided everything, and he had been put in a coma for two weeks, then woke up without being able to speak or move correctly; during those two weeks in the black void of his mind after that trip, however, he had managed to acquire a strange new ability as if God or some other divine being up there was trying to make up for all the physical therapy and months at the hospital.  
  
It was something he didn't really like to talk about.  
  
At a mere look at the white walls, Justin instantly felt a pang of guilt for Suzuka, but it was quickly stifled when he reminded himself of all the things the teacher had done during his classes; like making him put his wrist under a stapler, which would be slammed down onto one of his major arteries if he spoke or moved. Yes... Suzuka had what was coming to him.  
  
"Justin, man, there's a-" The cat demon's voice was cut off as Justin tripped and barely managed to catch himself before tripping over a wastepaper basket. Of course, the basket got stuck on his foot and he tripped again, this time failing to stop his fall and tumbling down on the floor, dragging a starchy-white bed curtain with him.  
  
"A wall there... You okay?" Lyonell gave Justin a hand, pulling the boy up to his feet and dusting off his shoulder. Justin shrugged him off and glared straight ahead, only to bump into a rather large woman. Well, to tell the truth, it was fairly hard to tell what she was, as she had an extra pair of arms coming out from her waist and thick armor-like scales covering her shoulders and other vital points while the rest of her body was covered in soft fur. A pair of translucent wings twitched on her back, giving off a faint humming noise, and her eyes were pure pits of black.  
  
"Arrrrrrrrree you two the boyzzz Sssuzuka sssent?" It was amazing the thing could speak at all; she had no discernable mouth, and a mask covered where her mouth would have been. Both Lyonell and Justin nodded in dumb astonishment, as they had never met this member of the staff before, and were led into a screened-off area where the teacher was reading a book. He didn't even look up, but shooed the strange looking female away and motioned for his two students to stay.  
  
Both Lyonell and Justin just stood there, awkwardly staring at their feet (or paws, in Lyonell's case) as the blond youkai put a bookmark in to mark his page and turned to them.  
  
"Nice prank, boys; it's been a long time since someone got the best of me like that. In fact, I might even let you off easy..." Both students looked up hopefully at the teacher, who had a small smirk on his face. "However, that is only if no one finds out about what you did, do you understand?"  
  
"Yes sir." The answer came quickly and clearly; this was just too good to be true. Suzuka nodded and filled out a slip by the bedside table. "I think a week of cleaning the greenhouses would suffice." He handed to the paper to Lyonell, and opened his book to the saved page. Justin just stared, then felt something close to anger welling up inside him.  
  
"I thought you said we were getting off easy! The hell is this crap!"  
  
Suzuka glanced at him quickly, then realizing Justin wouldn't leave without an explanation, no matter how long Lyonell begged him to leave, he sighed and put his book back down. "You are getting off easy; I could revoke your payments and permission slips for the April vacation trip." Silence filled the room as both blonds glared at each other, and Justin finally broke the concentrated stare as he stomped out of the room. "Come on, we're leaving."  
  
"See you later, boys!" Suzuka faked a happy tone, and turned to the cat demon that still stood there in front of his bed. Changing to a more serious tone, Suzuka gave a sideways glare at Lyonell and said, "Run along, you. If Justin acts up again, tell me; I'd hate to see what happened if he really did go off."  
  
"Um, yes sir..." The cat demon cautiously looked back at Suzuka before catching up with Justin.  
  
"Hey, get well soon, man. Shikyo makes a sucky history teacher."  
  
The inventor only smiled as the infirmary door shut. Having teenagers around was making sure you were alive and kicking; kind of like having a migraine was making sure you had a head.  
  
* * *  
  
The shift in temperature from the chilly mid-March afternoon to the humid greenhouse almost made you choke, it was so severe. The particular greenhouse Kurama's lesson was taking place in was doubly so; Chrysanthemum, who was working with the fox because her twin had been late coming to class from Suzuka's, had taken off her hooded sweatshirt. Underneath she was wearing a dark maroon tank top, which blended nicely with her golden fur and gray jeans.  
  
"I can't believe we're still stuck with these things," She complained, rubbing her green eyes with the back of her hand before going back to repotting the giant Venus flytrap plant, which Kurama was currently holding down. The redhead was obviously annoyed with his task, as he fended off the sensitive "mouth" leaves, and pinned it to the wooden table while the twin took her own sweet time with loosening the carnivorous plant's root ball. "All done!" She cheerily replied, and Kurama let go of the giant flytrap as it hissed at him one last time before sullenly climbing into it's new, bigger pot. It gave a small, nearly unheard, sigh, and settled itself down, then opened its mouth leaves, ready to hunt.  
  
"This is a review of what we did before, so we'll be ready for the finals."  
  
"You know, and you'll never hear me say this ever again, Kurama; but I'm starting to wonder why she's even bothering this early in the year. I mean, I know we still have about four months left, but April vacation is coming up soon and we're only going to forget it then."  
  
Kurama just stared at Chrysanthemum; unlike her brother, the cat demon had never before complained about schoolwork, no matter how large the load. Then, noticing he was just staring at her like one would at a seven-car pileup on the highway, politely smiled. "Yes, but at least there's a slim chance some of us will remember. I suppose looking at our notes come the day after vacation beats taking practice tests for all of our four periods of class." The fox and cat quietly watched as a nearby student struggled to keep his dangerous plant in control while he cleaned the root ball, and Lyonell finally came in the door.  
  
"And where were you?" Chrysanthemum sprung the question on him before he could even say "hello". The cat demon looked to Kurama for help, but the fox just shook his head and smiled, curious as to what was going to happen before him. Lyonell nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head as he replied, "At the infirmary. Suzuka wanted to talk with me and Justin, and he was, um... helping the nurse to restock."  
  
"Really... I heard from Rogerik that you two got in trouble and went down there for a lecture, or something of the like." The sister twin crossed her arms, a frown on her face and her tawny tail twitching in agitation. Lyonell made a note to 'accidentally' injure Rogerik later, and tried to change the subject.  
  
"Hey, Kurama, are you going on the April vacation trip with the school?" Lyonell tried to make it sound sincere, and the fox was caught off guard by the question. Well, I don't see why not. It would be nice to get outside and somewhere warm after the winter we've had." Both cats nodded in agreement, but there was a sudden yelp as Chrysanthemum painfully got a hold on one of her brother's delicate ears.  
  
"Come on, little brother, what did you talk about with Suzuki."  
  
"I'm not your little brother! Just because you were born twenty minutes before me doesn't mean you can lord it over." He hissed in pain, his tail puffed out to an astonishing size, and was dragged over to the side, behind a potted pear tree and away from the curious students. Kurama smiled and shook his head, then occupied himself with an ailing plant that was isolated in the back corner, so as not to spread its aphid infestation to the other flora.  
  
The April trip had never crossed his mind before, and he hadn't really been one for fun in the sun back at home. But, the school intercom interrupted his silent opinion over the trip, and a feminine voice announced, "Will Rogerik Lewis please report to the main office? Headmaster Givanni wishes to speak with him."  
  
* * *  
  
The room was lushly carpeted, and large, latticed windows graced the wood- bordered walls. Dark purple and lavender panes were integrated along with the clear ones, and a potted ivy plant was set on one of the window sills; in front of the window was a mahogany work desk, with a computer and various photo frames on it. The secretary was a plump, middle-age human woman, her brown hair tied back in a neat bun with a navy blue clip. She looked up from her computer screen, then smiled at the teenage boy who stood before her desk, readjusting her glasses. "Oh, Rogerik, it's been a while since you've been in here." The thief smiled in return, a rather sheepish grin, and nodded his head hello. "Uh, yeah. About the headmaster..?"  
  
"Oh, of course! Go right in, he'll be with you in a minute or two."  
  
As if on cue, the wooden door swung open on its own, revealing the almost identically decorated headmaster's office; Rogerik doubtfully stared at the inviting room, a weird shiver running up his spine, but the secretary shooed him in. "Go on, hon. Nothing to be afraid of." The phone rang, and she dutifully answered it, still making a shooing motion with her hand, the gold charm bracelet on her wrist cheerily jangling.  
  
The thief cautiously walked into the room, his gray-green eyes constantly searching the desk, fireplace, window, anything that was in sight. Rogerik had never really felt at home in the main offices, a trait inherited from his major. The doors slammed shut, and the thief practically jumped in the air at the sudden noise; Rogerik took a deep breath and tried to slow his racing heart, then sat down in one of the leather armchairs to wait for the headmaster.  
  
"Vacation can't come any sooner..." He ran a hand through his blond hair, sighing once again, but this time something on the far wall caught his eye. It was a framed painting, nothing strange about that, and the psychic, with nothing else to do, walked over to take a good look at it.  
  
The painting was fairly large, about three feet long by two feet tall, and was set in a mahogany wood frame, to match the desk and furniture. It was a fall scene, with a crisp blue sky and the leaves of the trees were the colors of flames - all reds, oranges, and golds; a beautiful painting, and expensive to boot. Rogerik admired it, not noticing the gory nature of the artwork until his eyes lingered on one little clump of what he thought was a pile of fallen leaves a little too long.  
  
That wasn't just a pile of leaves - it was a body.  
  
Blood pooled around the corpse, and Rogerik suddenly noticed that the body wasn't the only one in the picture; dozens others littered the large canvas, hidden behind a bush, or eerily leaning on a tree trunk, hand clutched to the uniformed man's heart. This picture wasn't a painting of fall scenery - it was a battlefield. The soldiers were all clad in either a dark grayish-blue or a bark-brown uniform, and they were of all different races. Now he could see that the darker clouds that hung over the bloody treetops weren't clouds, but plumes of smoke. He could even hear the screams of the dying, and smell the smoke of flame and gunfire...  
  
"Ah, you like that one, Lewis?" The thief shuddered as the young headmaster placed a hand on his shoulder, and Rogerik glanced back at the school official, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. The blond psychic turned his attention back to the painting, his eyes narrowed as he desperately wished that the headmaster would stop acting so friendly. "Yeah, its... nice."  
  
"Yes, it's a painting that dates back to the war between the Netherworld and Reikai. It's been passed down through the school for centuries." Givanni took his hand off of Rogerik's shoulder, and went over to his desk, casually settling himself in the cushy leather computer chair, then gestured over to the seat in front of the mahogany desk.  
  
"Sit down, please." Rogerik managed to tear himself away from the haunting war scene and sat down in the equally plush chair, his eyes downcast. The headmaster lost no time in getting straight to the point.  
  
"I know you applied to spend the summer at the academy instead of going back home to Japan, Rogerik." The thief nodded in reply, biting his lip a little as the man sighed and leaned forwards, his fingers laced together and a sincere look on his face. "I'm sorry to say this, Lewis, but the summer program has already been filled up."  
  
'Damn.' Rogerik only sighed, knowing full well that the academy was often full during the summer with the many orphaned students that chose to attend the school. But, Givanni continued on. "I suppose you could always spend the summer with a friend of yours, provided your father gives you permission, but we can't take in anymore students for the summer. I'm terribly sorry."  
  
"No, it's alright." The thief stood up, and went to leave the office, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. "It's okay, I actually really doubted I would get in." Givanni went to speak, but Rogerik just gave the man a look and forced a smile. "No, I'll be fine. Thanks anyways." The door slammed shut, and Givanni lighted the fireplace with a mere flick of the wrist, then stared into the flames, despite the bright sunny day.  
  
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Well, I'm sitting here, downstairs in my dad's living room at three in the morning on a Sunday finishing this... so, yeah. . I need to take sleeping pills or something, I just keep waking up at insane hours in the morning. But, I'm working on a co-authored fic with my sister, and that might be up in about a month or so. God, we're twisted... Imagine if two caffeine-hyped teens partook in writing a Yu Yu Hakusho story arc... in less than thirty seconds.  
  
No, really, think about it.  
  
Does it scare you yet?  
  
No? Think about it some more.  
  
Oh, good, you're scared. So am I.  
  
Anyways, I really dunno about how soon chapter 33 will be up. Y'see, I'm still trying to decide where to send them for April Vacation- camping in the woods, or a tropical beach. In fact, let's take a vote! So, send in them reviews! Oh, and I'm still taking OCs, if anyone (who hasn't sent one in, of course) is interested.  
  
Anyways, Ciao! 


	33. Bon Voyage

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Try to sue me for writing this, and my sister and I will sic Tank on you. (Oh, and the numerous OCs that suddenly appear every so often belong to the reviewers that sent them.)  
  
Quote of the week: "Dear Die-ary... today I seem to be dead." -Johnny, from Johnny the homicidal maniac.  
  
KKC: Well, the reviews are in, and the school is going ...  
  
Fangirlitis: *starts drum roll... on a pair of bongos...*  
  
KKC/ Kuwabara: O.O;; what the hell was that?  
  
Fangirlitis: Hey, it's the best I could do!  
  
KKC: *still skeptical* Riiight... Anywho, polls call a camping trip!  
  
Kuwabara: C-camping? In the woods?  
  
Grimoire: Yes, Kuwabara, camping. Do you have a problem with that?  
  
Kuwabara: *looking pale* Last time I went camping, a ghost chased me, and then I got lost in a bog because I followed some will-o-wisps...  
  
KKC: Kuwabara, any idiot who knows their otherworldly creatures can tell you that will-o-wisps always get you lost.  
  
Kuwabara: Are you calling me an idiot? *Glares*  
  
KKC: *cringes* Me and my mouth...  
  
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"Thanks for taking care of Salvatore while I'm gone, Yukimi." Lyra was in a rush, packing the last of her clothes and a travel bag to bring with her on the boat. Yukimi, sitting on Lyra's full-size bed, which was covered with strewn clothes and drawing supplies, absent-mindedly gazed at the vertical fish tank, the mermaid's purse gently bobbing in the filtered water, illuminating the room with it's soft, pulsating, glow. "Well, I might as well feed the bird, since I'm going to be making daily checks on the egg, anyways. Although I do wish I could go on the trip with you guys, but I just have so much work to do..."  
  
Salvatore, clinging onto the white bars of his newly cleaned cage, shrieked once and stormed on down to his food dish, then proceeded to toss his food pellets out onto the floor. Lyra came over, dumped an armful of clothes in the open suitcase on her bed, then stood in front of her pet's cage, whispering to the little parrot inside. "Salvatore, behave for Yukimi, okay?"  
  
"Queek!"  
  
"Good boy. Don't worry, I won't be gone long; only for about four days." Salvatore dirtily glared at Lyra, but stopped tossing his food all over the floor and bowed his little feathered head. "Oh, thanks so much. I promise I'll bring you back something good, Salvatore."  
  
"Tch..."  
  
"He really doesn't like to be left behind, does he?" Yukimi walked over, and teasingly put a finger near Salvatore's cage, watching as the lovebird went into a frenzy, wings flapping and beak opened wide to bite. Lyra sighed, and continued to pack her bags. "He hates to be left back at home when I leave; you should have seen him when I left to find a cure for Kurama during Christmas vacation." Salvatore looked away from Yukimi's finger for a moment, and squawked in reply, then bit down on the dragon specialist's pointer finger while she wasn't paying attention to him.  
  
"OW! Little freak..." Yukimi recoiled her hand, sucking on the injured digit. Both girls jumped as Kuwabara yelled up, "Lyra, get this thing out of the kitchen!"  
  
The elder sister sighed, and said to Yukimi, "Can you give me a minute? I'll go see what this is about." She half-ran, half-walked down the stairs to the first floor, only to stare at the large, black-furred tail that ran halfway across the kitchen floor. Of course, the tail wasn't as surprising as what was attached to it; two pairs of blood red eyes stared at Lyra from behind the kitchen island, and a rainbow-colored fin sharply contrasted against the maple counters.  
  
"Lyra, this...thing kept asking for you." Kuwabara sat on the living room couch, constantly keeping an eye on the huge water-monster from behind a manga novel. The creature lifted its blunt muzzle and smiled at Lyra, flashing a mouth full of sharp, white teeth.  
  
"Miss Lyra, I had decided to stop by for a moment, and I heard you were leaving for down south this afternoon." He bowed his large head low, his whiskers trailing across the linoleum floor, and in his claws he clutched a few stalks of chicory flowers. Kuwabara looked up from his manga book to give Lyra a curious glance, and the water manipulator instantly blushed while she gently took the purple flowers from the rodent-like monster. "Uh, thank you. But I haven't seen you lately since Yusuke chased you off on Valentines Day."  
  
"Ah, a unfortunate event..." The monster sighed, the larger pair of eyes closing fully while the smaller pair only gained a saddened look, and his whiskers drooped. "I have taken refuge on the ocean cliff that is right next to this house, but I just had to visit you on a day as lovely as this, miss."  
  
Kuwabara went into a coughing fit at this, or a laughing fit that was poorly disguised as a case of streph throat, and tried to hide his smirking mug behind his book. The monster glared at Kuwabara with all four eyes, then brought Lyra closer with his tail. His large maw was getting closer by every passing moment, and Lyra forced herself to stay calm as he quietly whispered in her ear, "Excuse me, but maybe could we continue this conversation in private? I'm not really welcomed here."  
  
Oh, now she could hear it. Someone from upstairs was coming down, apparently with a heavy load of luggage; and even if she hadn't been able to recognize the voice, Lyra could tell it was Yusuke judging by the number of colorful expletives the speaker was using. "Oh, sure. In fact, we can go out to the cliff steps... yeah."  
  
Both Kuwabara and Lyra winced as they heard a loud thunk, then a particularly r-rated string of curses, the F-bomb being every other word in the sentence. The creature hissed at the severe language, but Lyra tenderly closed his mouth and led him out of the kitchen, through the back door, and into the garden. Once every single black hair from his hide was outside, the elder Admarant sister let go of the monster's jaw, and they quickly snuck over to the stone steps.  
  
"Miss Lyra, I wish you well on your journey, don't get me wrong, but are you sure that it is safe for you to be out at a time like this?" The creature once again had his tail wrapped around Lyra as they sat on the steps; the ebony rodent sprawled along the stone staircase. Lyra pulled her windbreaker tighter around her and looked at the monster, her blue eyes filled with confusion. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Something is wrong, Lyra. I know it doesn't seem so at this moment, Miss, but the evil is constantly growing. I'm just worried that you might not make it back."  
  
"Don't be so worried, um..." The black-haired teen searched her mind for a name for the creature before her, but found none. "I hate to sound rude, but do you have a name?"  
  
"Hm?" His four red eyes opened wide, the creature shook his head, and suddenly clasped Lyra's hand in his paw. "No, I have no name, but I would be honored if you gave me one."  
  
'Well, that was an easy change of subject...' Lyra thought, but managed to keep her smile going strong. "Okaaay... Uh, how about-"  
  
"Call him rat-fink!" Kyuro's voice yowled this from somewhere in the garden, and the monster chucked a rather large rock over in the general area of the feline familiar. There was a loud hiss and the creature responded with his own fearsome growl.  
  
"Go away, you little pest!"  
  
Lyra sweatdropped as the two continued to growl at each other, despite the distance between them, and nervously tried to intervene. "Uh, Kyuro, leave us alone. Please." There was a grumbled "whatever," but the cat dutifully padded away, leaving the water manipulator once again alone with the creature, who was now boring holes into her head with his fierce four-eyed gaze, his eyes reflecting the light like gems. Wait, gems... his red eyes did look kind of like rubies...  
  
"I think I have a name for you; Koryu."  
  
"Really! Koryu... Yes, I like it. Thank you so much, Miss Lyra!" He bowed his head, and Lyra went to get up, but his clawed paw was still clinging onto her hand. The water manipulator tried to pull her hand out, but it was no use. "Uh, Koryu..?"  
  
"Miss Lyra, I ask if I may join you, to keep you safe from harm."  
  
"Er..." Now this was a difficult situation; Lyra didn't want to hurt Koryu's feelings, but she also didn't want to spend all vacation with the giant rat as a tag-along. But, what the heck; it wasn't like she had much of a choice. With a sigh, she nodded her head and rushed a few strands of black hair out of her face with her free hand, while replying, "Of course, Koryu. Feel free to come."  
  
"Lyra, what are you doing out there? The boat leaves in a half-hour, so get your things ready and hurry up!" Rachel leaned out of the back door, dressed in casual-fit jeans and a green t-shirt, her blonde hair tied up in a messy braid. Lyra waved back, and ran up the steps, pausing to take a glance at the retreating rainbow-colored fin that was barely visible over the clumpy bushes that hugged the cliff wall.  
  
* * *  
  
"It's about time we got a real break..." Holly took her can of orange soda from the vending machine, and sat down on a bench, next to Lark and Lyra. The younger sister nodded, and pushed her sunglasses, which had slipped down her nose, back up, then watched as some of the other students came to the docks, little by little. Some of the teacher/chaperones had already arrived; even now, the three girls watched as Suzuka and Djornn chatted about the latest technological achievements, while Ryo and Rachel were busy talking with the harbormaster.  
  
"I still say the school should have scheduled for Miami..." Kyuro was sprawled out on the back of the bench, his black fur soaking up the sun's rays. Lark reached back and scratched the back of the cat's ears, remarking, "Hey, Misery Island is better than nothing, right?"  
  
"Lark, just look at the name. 'Misery' Island." Kyuro yawned, his sharp little fangs bright against his black fur, and stretched, only to jump down and curl up on Holly's lap. The witch rolled her eyes, and none-too-gently picked the familiar up by the scruff, placing him on the wooden pier. "Go scamper off somewhere, okay kitty-boy?"  
  
"Don't call me kitty-boy!" But the cat stalked down the pier, dodging the legs of arriving students, and scampered up a tree, none too happy about his accommodations. Grumpily, he watched as the other students wandered in, and got himself comfortable on his branch; most of the other campers were often seen around the school, and had spared many a table scrap for the familiar, much to his enjoyment. A group of girls, about four of them, hastily skittered out of the way as a black van pulled up near the harbor entrance, and a young woman stepped out of the driver's side, a two-inch binder under her arm, and a teenaged boy from the passenger seat.  
  
His hair was a bright orange, and he had a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder, with a rather large lizard curled around his neck, it's tail slipping off over his back, and the flaming ridge brightly burning. He took in the other students with his red eyes, and silently walked down to the dock, avoiding eye contact as he shoved past the group of girls that had almost been run over; the woman who had been driving the van was trying to run in her flip-flop sandals and long khaki skirt, barely managing to keep up with the boy's long strides.  
  
She walked ahead, ignoring the boy as he leaned against a soda machine and softly scratched his pet's scaly chin. Brushing her shoulder-length brown hair out of her face, the young woman came up to Suzuka and Djornn and timidly asked, "Uh, one of you is Suzuka-sensei, right?"  
  
"Yes?" The blond inventor held out his hand for the woman to shake it, but she instead shoved the binder in his outstretched hand. "I was informed that you would be supervising Ayame Mizuno on the camping trip, so I wanted to give you some of his medical records." She once again paid no attention to the stunned Suzuka's face, and continued on. "I do hope you can keep him under control; he can be moody. I would suggest you watch him to make sure he doesn't bother the other students-"  
  
There was a sharp yelp, and a small girl ran away form Ayame, who blatantly paid no heed to the young crying girl, and went back to drinking his can of rootbeer as she ducked behind the legs of an elder fox-demon.  
  
"Kou, he scared me!" She once again clung to the kitsune's baggy jeans, and buried her face in the female student's black tail, getting tearstains all over the silky fur. The teenaged demon sighed, and tried to calm the frightened girl as much as possible; little kids were never really Kouiyo's thing, although they all seemed to cluster around her. But Brittany was a younger human student, barely eight, who lived in her dorm, and had idolized the kitsune as soon as she had laid eyes on her. "He doesn't mean anything by it, he's just... well, heck, he scares me too."  
  
There was a half-hearted glare from Ayame, but he still stayed silent. Djornn gave Suzuka a strange look, stamping a rear hoof in the direction of the unsocial demon, and the inventor nodded in agreement with the gesture. This Ayame was going to be quite a bit of trouble...  
  
"I think I'm getting sick just by looking at it..." Lyonell was seated on a wooden post, gazing at the swirling seawater, despite his better judgment. Yusuke rolled his eyes, and continued to read the flyers that were posted in front of the harbormaster's office, letting his mind wander. Justin and Jin were seated on the ground, with a game of war going on in full swing, the cards neatly placed and stacked; nearby, Kurama was reading a rather thick book, totally engrossed in the black-and-white pages.  
  
"Do we have to take a boat?" The cat demon whined, even though no one was paying attention to him. Justin grumbled something as Jin won another round, then moodily answered, "Then don't come, you dolt."  
  
"My ace just beat your ten." The windmaster collected the pair of cards, and took a swig of his can of soda, placing it back on the wooden boards of the dock.  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
"Hey, guys! I managed to grab a flyer about our chaperones." Kuwabara ran up, holding a light-blue paper with a list of names printed on it; Yusuke grabbed the paper from the taller boy, and quickly read it over. "Well, the idiot and I are stuck in Suzuka's cabin, along with Justin-"  
  
"Shit."  
  
"- and this guy named Ayame. Jin, I think you're going with Lyonell, Rogerik, Kurama, and Hiei in Djornn's cabin."  
  
"They're letting the centaur onboard a ship?" Jin didn't even take his eyes off of the game, and won yet another round against Justin. Yusuke shrugged and replied, "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"I'm not boarding with the cat and windy." The voice was quiet, and came from behind the bench Kurama was seated on; the fox distractedly waved, and mumbled "Hello, Hiei," before going back to his book. Lyonell leapt off of the wooden post, landing nimbly on his paws before asking, "What took you so long?"  
  
In reply, the youkai held up his right wrist, which was now free of its brace and splint. Yusuke raised an eyebrow and pointed at Hiei's wrist, which was actually none the worse for the wear, despite having been encased in a small cast, and then a brace, for well around four months. "Wasn't that supposed to come off by the last week of April?"  
  
"I heal fast."  
  
Kurama nodded in agreement, then looked around the group, peeling his green eyes away from his book long enough to notice that one of his roommates was missing. "Hiei, did you see Rogerik around at all?"  
  
"I thought he was with you." The reply was curt, and Lyonell sighed. "I bet he's off somewhere, around some girls or something. If you want, I'll go find him." The cat demon took a running start, then leapt onto the roof of the harbor-master's one-floor office. With a flick of his tail, he was gone and running at breakneck speed through the docks.  
  
"Alright, everyone! Time to get your stuff together and board!" Rachel was fairly loud, and succeeded in waking everyone up. With a multitude of chattering, the numerous students all grabbed their respectful luggage, and headed towards the three large gangplanks that lead up to the boat. The ship itself was fairly large, and was colored a blinding white, with a shocking golden-yellow insignia of a slim, black-spotted feline along the sides. Underneath the logo were the words, "The Cat" in large, black letters, with a painted set of gray claw marks slashed through the ship's name.  
  
Holly grabbed the handle of her bag, leaning her broom on her shoulder, and called out to her female roommates, "Hold on, let me get Kyuro." She called out his name, but the diminutive familiar stayed hidden. Once again, the cat was called, and this time a small, black, furry head poked out from behind a potted flower bush. "There you are, Kyuro. We have to go." The wind witch shifted her duffel bag onto her shoulder, then bent down and swept the cat up into her free arm, holding him steadily as he started to meow and struggle.  
  
"Calm down, you brat." The witch kept her firm grip as she followed the two Admarant sisters, and they walked up the closest gangplank, finally hopping off onto the large ship. Noticing a wildly waving Ryo, they walked over to the short elf, struggling amidst the crowd, and he nodded hello to them, while handing a blue piece of paper to Lark. "Here you go, girls. This lists your cabin-mates."  
  
"Thanks, Ryo." Lyra took the sheet from her sister and started to read the cabins as they walked into the ship's lounge (a large room with a multitude of booths and tinted windows, and a small snack stand at one end) and claimed a booth.  
  
"This is insane... I mean, why the heck does everyone have to get onboard first?" Lark sighed and brushed a strand of black hair out of her face, plopping her bag on the floor underneath her feet. Holly shrugged, and finally released her hold on the cat, letting the black feline jump onto the booth table, where he shuddered and started to clean his tail, one of his ears peevishly turned back. Lyra handed the paper to her sister, who had unzipped her bag and was now loading another roll of film into her camera, and offered to get her friends a drink before the boat left. Both Holly and Lark declined, and the elder sister dropped her bag on one of the booth benches before going over to the snack stand. The witch leaned her broom against the booth and tossed her bag underneath her seat, then finally sat down, only to stare at the black cat in front of her.  
  
There was no collar.  
  
The thick leather collar, with the brass bell on it, that kept the familiar bound was gone.  
  
"Damn." Holly muttered this, and the black kitten stared up at her, flicking his tail and narrowing his dark gray eyes. "What is it..?" Lark stopped fiddling with her camera, and followed Holly's hard stare, only to have the question die in her throat. "That isn't Kyuro, is it?"  
  
"What was your first clue? Of course it isn't him!" She pointed at the kitten, who was now ready to jump off the table. Lark scooped him up, much to the cat's dismay, and started to scratch him behind the ear. Holly, meanwhile, had stood up and ran towards the cabin door, broom in hand. "I'll see you later! I have to find Kyuro!" Lark just stared as the witch mounted the broom and kicked off, flying over the railing and zooming above the heads of students that were still traveling up the gangplank. Turning back to the little kitten that was begrudgingly snuggled in her arms, Lark carefully scrutinized the black cat and stated, "You know, she's right. You haven't complained about anything in the last five minutes."  
  
The kitten merely stared at her, and sighed, settling himself against her chest. He might as well enjoy it while he could.  
  
Just a bit more... that was all. A few more seconds, and he would make it... he bit his lip, holding his finger steadily over the trigger, waiting for the right moment...  
  
"That's where you've been! You idiot!"  
  
The finger slipped, and the gun fired, hitting a nearby civilian, and draining the last of his health. "Dammit!" Rogerik swore, and angrily glowered at the cat demon who was standing behind him. He managed to pull himself away form the arcade game and slid his back pack on his narrow shoulders. "What is it, Lyonell?"  
  
"Rogerik, the boat leaves in about, " the cat demon took a look at his watch, and his face visibly paled. "Four minutes..."  
  
The thief only stared. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
"No..." Lyonell swallowed hard and grabbed Rogerik by the arm, then started to run towards the docks, not really caring whether or not the blond was keeping up or being dragged along. Suddenly, he was jerked back, sprawling on the ground as his grip on the thief was loosened, and he glanced back, to see Rogerik clinging onto a tree, his gray eyes wide. Slowly, he pried his arms from the flora, and helped his friend up, but not before calmly saying, "Alright, first, calm down. The harbor is a minute away, I just drank an entire liter of Pepsi, and I can't run that fast." The last statement was growled out, and the twin nervously tried to look as innocent as possible.  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
"Tch... I don't think sorry will cut it, you numbskull." The voice, dripping with sarcasm, came from above, high up in the tree that Rogerik had clung onto. Both boys watched as there was a flash of black, and an annoyingly familiar creature made itself visible.  
  
"Kyuro... this is just great. What are you up to now, if you're not just out for a night on the town?" The cat ignored Rogerik and daintily stretched, his back arching as he stood on his furry toes for a second, then yawned before answering.  
  
"I fell asleep while we were waiting for the boat."  
  
There was a gust of wind from overhead, and all three of them looked up, to see Holly quickly descending. She leaped off her broom, leaving the enchanted piece of equipment floating in mid-air, and ran over to Kyuro, sweeping him up and cuddling his slight frame. "You little ass! I just flew half-way across the city looking for you, and all you can say is you fell asleep?" As both boys watched the scene, sweatdropping as they did so, the cat sheepishly cracked a grin and hung limply in her arms.  
  
"Ah, well, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me..."  
  
Damn, that cat was a good liar... either that, or the witch was gullible.  
  
"Nice try." Kyuro was delivered a skull-grinding noogie to his ebony skull, and the witch carried him over to her broom by the scruff of his neck, ready to hop back on and fly for the boat.  
  
Okay, so you could scratch gullible off the list. Rogerik saw the steam from the ship's smokestacks from off in the distance, and ran towards his roommate, bag in hand.  
  
"Hey, Holly, can you give me a ride?"  
  
"Rogerik? W-what are you doing here? And Lyonell too?" The cat demon waved in response to his name, and the witch merely floated there, her brown eyes wide. "Uh, um..." She seemed to wake up then, and motioned for the thief and cat to sit behind her on the broomstick, then jumped on herself. "By all means, I don't mind. But we better hurry, I don't feel like flying all the way to misery island; I've done it once, and I don't want to do it again." Both boys nodded and clung on, and the ground flew out from under them at an amazing rate as the broom lifted off and soared towards the white ship, which was quickly pulling out of the harbor.  
  
Lark sighed, and boredly flipped through the pages of a manga she had borrowed from Kuwabara. Holly wasn't back yet, the kitten was now sleeping on the formica table, and her sister had gone off with Kurama. Not even Yusuke was around to pester. There was a faint crunching sound from the booth in back of her, and she ignored it, until a small crumb flew up and landed in the middle of the pages of her comic. Again, more noises, and another crumb, then another. Finally, five crumbs later, she turned around in the booth, waking up the black kitten, and went to whack whoever had such disgusting table manners upside the head; her fist never connected.  
  
Reader, if you think this was from the excellent dodging/blocking/martial arts skills of the opponent, you're wrong. No, this was because the inhabitant of the booth was too small to reach from the water-manipulator's awkward position, and because it was sitting on the table. The little creature was about a foot tall, not even that, and was grouchily munching on a pretzel rod, his little beaked face set in a scowl. It took a minute for Lark to recognize the avian demon, and when she did, she only gawked.  
  
"Shishi..." The little creature looked up at her, and did a double take, then hastily dropped the pretzel rod and tried to scurry away. To his dismay, the girl lunged over the booth, thanking Enma that she had had the sense to wear jeans, and grabbed him. "I don't think so, Wakamaru." She lifted him up, trying to avoid his furiously packing beak, and settled back down in her own seat, her hands still securely grasped around his feathery body. "You decide to hide away from everyone for over two weeks, and when you do decide to grace the commoners with your presence, you're trying to attack me with pretzel crumbs? What kind of samurai are you?"  
  
The little demon glowered at Lark, and crossed his little arms, then shot an equally dirty look at the kitten by her side. The little black fur ball hissed, and swiped at the demon, neatly catching Lark's sleeve with his tiny claw. He tried to pull back, but was snagged, and decided to try verbal insults. After watching the bird and feline go after it for a few seconds, Lark grabbed them both and left the lounge, bringing them outside to the back of the boat.  
  
"Come on, Frick and Frack." Both animals shivered from the cold ocean spray, and Lark placed them on the painted-steel floor. "Now, I know neither of you are innocent animals, so I suggest you change to your true forms before a twenty-foot wave crashes over the boat. If I recall, I think I can swim MUCH better than a cat and bird." Both creatures looked at each other, sighed, and a smoke cloud appeared as they shifted back. As the smoke faded away, Shishiwakamaru, now back in his more human form, was seated cross-legged on the floor, his pinkish eyes staring out over the ocean and numerous small boats on the Port side, his arms crossed and hidden in the sleeves of his shirt; next to him was a young man, his black hair, ears and tail soaking up the April sun. Lark took one look, not even waiting for the smoke to fade away from the other man, and shrieked out, "God, my young, virgin eyes! Isn't there a law against that, Shikyo?!"  
  
"I'm dressed, dammit!" His normally cool demeanor faded, and he openly yelled at his English student, who uncovered her eyes, made sure her teacher was telling the truth, and sweatdropped. "Sorry, it didn't look like it with all the smoke..."  
  
Needless to say, both shape-shifters fell on their faces.  
  
"Um... did you hear that, Kurama?" Lyra looked down from the sundeck, but the grid-iron staircase was blocking the view of who vaguely sounded like her sister. The fox next to her sweatdropped, and also looked down from the higher level. "I'm hoping I didn't..."  
  
########################################################################  
  
*outside the guy's tents...*  
  
Kuwabara: O.O;; Ayame scares me...  
  
KKC: *pats Kuwabara on back* Don't worry; I'll make sure he doesn't get too violent.  
  
Kuwabara: But... but...look at what he did to that little girl! Even shorty wouldn't do that!  
  
KKC: Hm... Speaking of Hiei, I got a Wheel of Torture idea from Ryuu no Furui Yami , and it's directed towards Hiei-san.  
  
Kuwabara: *perks up* Really? What?  
  
KKC: Well, to make up for not having Yukimi go on the April vacation, Ryuu herself is going to tell you.  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *pops up out of nowhere, scaring the already jittery Kuwabara* Hi!  
  
Kuwabara: Ye-aahhh! *hides behind KKC*  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: -.-* I'm not that scary... Anyways, KKC, did you bring the stuff?  
  
KKC: *tosses plastic Walgreens bag to Ryuu* Yep; and in the most annoying array of colors known to man. Have fun.  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *looks in bag and grins* Oh, believe me, I'll have fun. ^______^  
  
Kuwabara: Wha-what's going on here?  
  
KKC: Kuwa, quiet and get a camera - you'll wanna save this moment. *to Ryuu* Hiei's cabin is this way. *points, and the girls sneak over, then sneak inside*  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: Wow... It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. *Almost trips of Djornn, who is sleeping on floor* Eep!  
  
KKC: Hey, try to sneak in a little more quietly, why don't you? We're lucky Hiei is even sleeping!  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: Right-o. *Hops over Djornn, and sneaks over to Hiei's bunk* *rummages around in bag* Alright, I knew that pink compact was in here somewhere... *pulls out the pink eye make-up* Ah-hah! Quick, untie his bandanna!  
  
KKC: *Unties bandanna, revealing Hiei's Jagan* All yours. Just pass me that blush and lip-gloss. *Takes items, and the two girls get to work*  
  
*Five minutes later...*  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *sits down and wipes forehead with hand* Well, that was fun.  
  
KKC: ^___^ *still using make-up, but this time to scribble on Rogerik's face with lipstick* That'll show him to try and grope all my friends.  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: H-he did what? O.o;;  
  
KKC: *sighs* Never, ever, let your most perverted character follow you to school. He finally stopped when Jennell tossed him the lake and Michealla kicked him in the groin.  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: ...Isn't that enough punishment?  
  
KKC: I still haven't gotten in my own revenge, so all's fair.  
  
Kuwabara: *Sticks head through window* Got the camera! *holds up Lark's digital camera, and gives a big, dopey grin*  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *takes camera, and starts snapping pictures* I say we make doubles, and post 'em all over the Internet.  
  
KKC: Agreed.  
  
Kuwabara: I want a few copies to send to Botan and the girls.  
  
KKC / Kuwabara / Ryuu no Furui Yami: *look at each other, then start to evilly snicker*  
  
*The next morning...*  
  
Hiei: *groggily gets up and stumbles to cabin bathroom, then gets a good look at his reflection in the mirror* Those damn girls... *growls, and storms out of cabin, despite the pink and lime-green makeup that is painted on his face. Pink and green eyeshadow is on his eyelids (even on the Jagan's), he has bright red blush on, and pink lipstick*  
  
KKC: *sitting at a picnic table, and typing on laptop* Well, nothing's up in flames... I'm saying Hiei is taking this pretty well.  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *sitting across from KKC, while playing with Bones* Yeah, he is... *looks up, and face pales* Uh...  
  
KKC: *looks up from laptop screen* What?  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: *points behind the kitsune* I-it's ... hideous. O.O  
  
KKC: Hm? *follows Ryuu's gaze* Holy CRAP!  
  
Hiei: *standing behind KKC, still in make-up, his right arm ablaze with black fire, and left eye twitching madly* I suggest you girls finish writing your wills. NOW.  
  
KKC: *eeps, and runs as Hiei punches where she had been sitting. The picnic bench is now in flames.* Run, Ryuu! Run! It's the illustrated midget!  
  
Ryuu: *already running ahead of KKC* Way, way ahead of you, KKC!  
  
KKC: *dodges a sword-slash from Hiei* Kuuuwaaabaarraaa! Yuuusuukeee! Jiiiin! Kuuuraaamaaaaa! Someone heeeeelp! Anyone!  
  
Random students, characters, & rest of Reikai Tantei: *watch in amusement as the authoresses are chased out of camp by a seriously PO'd Hiei... and laughing too... ( . )*  
  
Grimoire: And so, may you be wise enough to never anger the Jaganshi... no matter how ridiculous he might look.  
  
Hiei: Excuse me?  
  
Grimoire: Eep! *cowers in fear and decides to play dead. ...Either that, or he went into cardiac arrest.*  
  
A/N: To Ryu-sama: I would've put your idea for "Wheel of Torture" first, but since you haven't replied to my e-mail, I decided to use Ryuu no Furui Yami's idea for this chapter. If you wanna, tell me in a review or something...  
  
A/N: To Pegacorn: Erk... I knew I was forgetting someone when I sent e- mails to those who guesses right... ^ ^;; Sorry... Anywho, send in a request for a "Wheel of Torture" segment if you want. I'm trying to do no repeats of those who were already tortured, so that leaves out Chuu, Hiei, Suzuka, and Kuwabara. Have fun... 


	34. Beginning of vacation

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH... stop rubbing it in, dammit! .  
  
Quote of the week: "Behold! The Crippler of Cripples! The Injurer of poor Mentally-damaged Peoples! The-One-Who-Trips-Over-Small-Children!" -Dylan (making fun of me after I tripped over a toddler that playing at the Commons playground. ...don't ask me how I did it; I don't rightfully know.)  
  
Okay, in short: For my lack of updates I deserve to be drug out into the street and shot.  
  
Thank you, that is all.  
  
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The boat, which was amazingly fast despite its size, had just docked at Misery Island in about two hours; a good two days sooner than when the Reikai Tantei had traveled by whale. But, judging by the color of Kuwabara's face as he hung over the rail, Yusuke had decided that maybe it was better to take a more gentle way to the campsite; the ship had literally jumped from every wave, and the ocean was just one big blue blur when the boat had reached full speed. If Holly hadn't shown up before they had pulled out of the harbor, she might have been left behind, along with her two tag-alongs.  
  
But, now as they stood on solid ground, the spirit detective was watching the scene in front of him with amusement. How Djornn had managed to get onto the boat had been a complete mystery to him, as he hadn't been there to watch, but now this was simply a laugh-riot. The boat's captain and a handful of mechanics were trying to lower the centaur down using a crane, and Djornn was bolting at nearly every attempt.  
  
"No, I'm not going to get down on that- that thing!" The centaur roared, shying away from a particularly slow-witted handyman, and kicking his back legs out. Yusuke, Justin, Jin, and even Hiei were watching from the docks, the Jaganshi actually harboring a small smirk on his face as his "teacher" ran to and fro, leaping over diving sailors, clattering past the much narrower bow of the boat, and then he finally reared up and ran full-out towards the railing. Students and teachers scattered like the ants in the Happy Tree Friends as the dark-gray equine man leaped over the wooden railing and soared down, his strong hooves hitting the stone pathway below with a jarring crack, then wheeled around, sticking his middle finger up at the stunned crew. "Try that, you damn bipeds!"  
  
"Djornn..." Suzuka placed a hand on the teacher's shoulder, then forcefully pulled him away from the docks. "Maybe you should just run on ahead and leave the ship's captain to me, okay? The last thing we need is you on another one of your tirades..."  
  
"Well... it has seen better days..." Holly mumbled this, and Kyuro, who was sitting on her shoulder, nodded in agreement. "Yeah... are you sure we have to spend four days in this dump?" He lightly landed on the grimy wood-plank floor, and started to poke around the cabin, leaving paw prints in the dust. Holly sighed, and opened the window, then called upon a small gust of wind. The breeze willingly blew in, and kicked up small twisters of dust, which whirled around the room, then the gray cloud of dust and dirt flew back out the window and dispersed. When it was done, not a speck of dirt was left on the cabin floor and the bunks were spotlessly clean. Kyuro gave the witch an approving smirk, and happily jumped on one of the lower bunks, stretched, then curled up on a pillow and fell asleep.  
  
The familiar was rudely awakened not even a minute later, as there was an aggravated yelp from outside, and the door swung open as a tall, draconic- looking creature stumbled in. She was shaking her head, her donkey-like ears flopping as she tried to recover from the dusty tornado; her eyes had slitted pupils, and they were turned on the witch as the newcomer straightened herself to her full height, nearly dwarfing Holly. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were out there." The witch bowed her head a little, and was surprised when the female dragon-creature put a large hand on her shoulder. "No, it's alright. At least the cabin's clean, right?"  
  
"Oh... uh, sure."  
  
"Cool," a long white tail snaked through the doorway, the end coiled around the straps of a large hiking backpack, and gently placed the bag on an empty bunk. That done, she twitched the feathery limbs on her back, which was exposed from the tie-back sleeveless shirt she wore, and cheerfully introduced herself. "I'm Azure."  
  
"Holly." The two bunkmates shook hands, but were interrupted by a muffled voice from underneath Azure's bag.  
  
"Hey! Quit the niceties and GET ME OUT OF HERE!"  
  
"Ack!" Both girls ran over to the bed and started to dig out the perturbed cat.  
  
Lyra cautiously knocked on the wooden door, jumping back a bit as it swung inside and hit the wall with a loud crack. She poked her head inside, and timidly asked, "Hello? Anyone here..?"  
  
"Come on in, we're cleaning up the bedroom right now..." A young woman who looked to be about seventeen stepped into the cabin's tiny living room, wiping her hands on the hem of her dark blue haori, then stopped and cocked her head at Lyra, her blue eyes strangely bright in the dingy conditions. "Well, you must be the last bunkmate... er, pardon me for asking this, but have we met before?" She ran a hand through her silvery hair, which was tied back in a loose ponytail with a black ribbon, and cocked one of her ears (they equine and sat atop her skull) as if trying to remember something.  
  
"Uh, I don't think we have. I'm Lyra," the elder Admarant sister held out her hand, and the other young woman cheerfully shook it, then called back into the room behind her. "Hey, Kou! Meru! Looks like we have a full cabin, so you better move your stuff off of that last bunk." There was a sarcastic "Yes, missus," from the other room, and a green backpack was sent flying behind the young woman. She shrugged, her the horn in the middle of her forehead shining brightly in the sunlight, and shifted her weight onto her other hoof, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm Arora. Come on in."  
  
"I get dibs on the lower-right bunk." Justin tossed his bag on said bed, and plopped down after it, turning the volume on his CD player up to full blast. Yusuke and Kuwabara each claimed the top bunks, and the three boys were busy unpacking when the sliding door was shoved violently; Ayame sauntered in, avoiding eye contact with his bunk mates as he sat down on the leftover bunk and started to unpack his own belongings, his scaly pet crawling down from his shoulder and taking residence on the faded blanket.  
  
"Hey, I don't think I've seen you around the campus before. I'm Yusuke," Yusuke held out a hand to the orange-haired demon, and Ayame merely glared daggers at the spirit detective with his red eyes before "Hmph"-ing and turning back to his bag. "Riiight..." Yusuke sighed and was about to exit through the sliding door to see the rest of the three-room cabin, but the Suzuka stepped through and leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"So, what do you boys think?"  
  
Justin looked up from his sprawled position on his bunk and stated, "It sucks."  
  
The inventor shrugged and went over to the far wall, which had a small handle sticking out from it; pulling gently on the odd-shaped handle, a three-foot section of the wall folded up to reveal a dark nook with a rod hung across the top. "Give it a chance, Justin; there are sure to be plenty of skeletons in the closet."  
  
Suzuka had to duck as an unzipped bag was tossed in the closet and Kuwabara once again buried himself in a manga book. "Say what you want, Suzuka..." The bag rustled, and out popped a familiar canine skeleton, which quickly reassembled itself and jumped out of the bag, then placed its bony forepaws on Suzuka's knees, its bright green eyes illuminating the nook. The blond man took one look at Kuwabara's pet, and then at the teen himself. "Well, you're no fun..."  
  
The first night   
  
All was quiet in the campground, as the students had settled down fairly early, considering it was vacation; spring rain lightly pattered against the wooden wall, and the inhabitants slept soundly, all except for a little two-tailed fox. The little familiar was curled by her owner, snuggling against Kouiyo's blanketed side, her ears flicking in every direction as the rain hit the windowpane. There was a crash of thunder, and the entire room was lit up as the lightning accompanied it; the tiny fox yelped and tried to get even closer to her kitsune owner, accidentally headbutting Kou in the side.  
  
"Flame... what is it?" Kouiyo groaned and brushed her black hair out of her eyes, then sat up. She picked up the little familiar and gently stroked Flame on her silky head. The fox whimpered and dug its slender little muzzle in Kouiyo's arms, and kept on glancing out the window with wide eyes, the Venetian blinds illuminated once more in a flash of light, and the frightened familiar caught sight of a dark shape through the pale blinds. Flame howled, her eyes bugging out, and started to struggle in Kou's arms; the loud noise woke up the other three girls in the room.  
  
"Kou, can't you get Flame to shut her yap?" Meru grumbled, turning over on her side and burying her head in her pillow, but Arora and Lyra were less rude. The raven-haired Lyra quietly stepped down the ladder that was hooked onto the side of her bunk and tip-toed over to Kouiyo's bunk. "Kou, what's she saying?"  
  
"I don't really know... she keeps on gabbing on about something in the window." Kouiyo handed her familiar to Lyra, and padded over to the window, taking the blind pulls in her hand. As if making a point, she turned her eyes on Flame and said, "Look, there's nothing out there, see?" Kou yanked the strings, and the blinds were pulled up, just as another bolt of lightning flashed, and a large silhouette blocked out most of the light. Kou took one look at Arora's face, and shakily looked over her shoulder, black ears flat against her head. Water was running down a long black muzzle, which was open to reveal a jaw full of sharp teeth, and four glowing red orbs, one pair larger than the other.  
  
"Excuse me, but-"  
  
"AIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
He hated camping.  
  
As if listening to Kuwabara snore above him wasn't enough, the rain and thunder kept on through the entire night. Yusuke, who was normally able to sleep through anything, including the first round of the Dark Tournament, was stuck in the middle of nowhere, being kept awake by lightning, thunder, and some idiot's incessant snoring. And then the June bugs joined in...  
  
Give him the city streets any day - the noise of traffic was a lullaby to his ears - but why couldn't they have gone somewhere quieter for vacation? Misery Island... something told Yusuke it would live up to its name sometime in the next three days - and it was starting with insomnia.  
  
The spirit detective was just about ready to close his lids and start counting sheep when the quiet noise of rustling sheets came from the bunk across and above from him. As he watched, a pair of red eyes met his own, and a shock of orange hair stuck out in the darkness as Ayame swung down onto the ladder, fully dressed with his reptilian pet on his shoulder, and stalked out the door; but not before giving Yusuke a dirty look as he slid the bedroom door shut behind him. Seconds later, the outer screen door creaked open and footsteps were heard running down the gravel path between the cabins, amidst the thunder and rain.  
  
'Well... now that doesn't seem normal...' Yusuke sat up, cracked his neck, and grabbed his sneakers, pulling them on as he made his way through his shared bedroom and the tiny den, then took his jacket from its hook by the door and stepped through the screen door. He was instantly hit by a gust of wind, and hastily zipped up his jacket, glad that he had worn pants and a shirt when he went to bed instead of just boxers. The thunder rumbled again, and another burst of light lit up the campground, reflecting off of the deepening puddles and the water-filled footprints that Ayame had left behind.  
  
Without much else to do, Yusuke kept his eyes on the footprints and took off at a run, looking up every so often for Ayame or the demon's flaming pet. The rain was nearly deafening, and it was surprising that such a light drizzle had turned into a thunderstorm in just a few minutes; finally, another flash of lightning, and Yusuke could see a humanoid shadow slip into the thickly wooded forest that surrounded the campsite. Shivering, he ran up to where Ayame had slipped off, and saw a small, barely discernable path through the thick brush; he sighed, and pushed a few small branches out of the way, then followed, only to slip in a large mud puddle. He reached out for a handhold, but he only grabbed a handful of slim thorny branches, and fell into a large pricker bush.  
  
"Damn! This just can't get any better..." He slowly picked himself off, sneering in disgust at the sheer amount of muck that coated his clothes, and wiped a glob a mud from his forehead. Deciding that going after the escaped Ayame was a waste of time, he painstakingly stepped out from the brush, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked back to his cabin.  
  
"Hey, Urameshi! Good mornin'" Jin was floating next to the huge outdoor grill, sitting Indian-style as he broke off a conversation with Lyonell and Justin. Needless to say, Yusuke wasn't in the best of moods, as he sat down at one of the long picnic tables and let his head fall down onto the table with a loud thunk. "Rough night, Yusuke?" The spirit detective looked up to see a steaming mug of coffee placed in front of him, along with a plate of eggs and sausage. With a grumble, he picked his head up and hungrily latched onto the coffee, gulping it down despite the burning sensation it left in his throat. A slender hand moved the mug down, and Lyra was smiling down at him. "Take it easy, Yusuke. You need to breathe, too."  
  
"Hey, Lyra! Have you seen Flame around? I can't find her." A black-haired kitsune called over to the water manipulator, and Lyra shook her head, her long black braid slowly swishing behind her back. "No, I haven't. She's probably still scared of Koryu." The fox demon swore to herself, and said a quick good bye before running back off to look around the other cabins. Jin floated down next to Lyra, his head cocked and eyes filled with curiosity. "Who's Flame?"  
  
"Her familiar. It's a two-tailed fox cub. Koryu decided to sneak up last night, and he scared all of us when he showed up." There was a clatter of dishes from behind them, and both windmaster and Admarant sister glanced back, only to see an empty dish in front of Yusuke, who was busily wolfing down another. Lyra and Jin sweatdropped, and Lyra took the plates from in front of Yusuke. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you went out for a run last night instead of sleeping."  
  
Yusuke's brown eyes widened, and he went into a coughing fit as a bite of sausage got stuck in his throat. Jin uncurled his legs and dropped down on the ground, his mouth twisted in a grin, the trademark white fang poking out over his lower lip. "Well now... looks like she hit it on the nail." Yusuke finally stopped coughing and muttered, "Don't you guys have someone else to bother?"  
  
Jin's ears drooped a little but he kept up his smile. "Fine, I'll go. I think the others are heading down to the lake, anyways." The redhead once again lifted himself in the air, and floated away from the table. "Oi, Urameshi, why don't you go find Hiei? Maybe you two could go sulk in some dark corner 'r something'." He glanced back at Yusuke, inwardly smirking, then flew above the tree tops.  
  
"Something tells me you hurt his feelings..." Lyra tore her eyes away from the vanishing speck that was Jin, and walked over to the large group sink, which was stacked with dirty dishes, leaving the spirit detective on his own.  
  
"Ah, yes... now that is nice..." The binoculars zeroed in, and sunlight reflected off of the glass lenses as the entire freshwater beach was magnified. Of course, why would he do something so trivial such as watch the scenery? Personally, the many females that had come to the beach was a much more interesting subject; because of the warmer weather and clean water, many of said schoolgirls were in their bathing suits, and this drew the thief to them like flies were drawn to cow shit.  
  
The blond boy was sitting up amidst the thick bushes that lined the top of a rocky wall, a pair of binoculars glued to his gray-green eyes, getting himself a look-see at his female peers. The reason for his distance from the group was the fact that Lark was down at the beach, and since she was in her natural element, it wasn't a wise thing to anger her; tsunamis tended to pop up when she was upset. Not only that, but water twisters, deadly sea creatures, and very, very large waves.  
  
His gaze wandered over the rest of the beach, and he made a quick mental note of what his friends were doing. Lyonell, as usual, was staying as far from the water as possible, while Yusuke and Kuwabara played fetch with Bones (using one of the skeleton dog's ribs as a stick); meanwhile, Holly, Chrysanthemum, and some other girls had spread out their beach towels on a grassy knoll that was in the shade of a stand of weeping willow trees, and were chatting the afternoon away. It seemed his roommates had picked up some new friends, as a tall, whitish-blue young woman with short feathery wings (which were just about useless when it came to flight, he guessed) and a long tail, was balanced on a low-hanging willow branch, the tail tightly wrapped around the rough bark. Another young woman, with a short horn that resembled Jin's protruding out of her forehead and long, silvery hair that was tied back with a black ribbon was sleeping on her towel, which was partly in the sun. The bright sunlight hit her long horse-tail, which shimmered a brilliant silver, and her hooves dully shone; her usual clothes were replaced by a robin's egg-blue one piece swimsuit, except for her dark blue haori, which she wore as an over coat.  
  
There was a sharp prick on his shoulder, and Rogerik almost jumped in surprise, an act that would have sent him tumbling down the rocky face that bordered the fresh water beach; even worse, the multitude of sunbathing and swimming schoolgirls beneath were bound to get violent. "And what do you think you're doing?" The voice was a hoarse whisper, and had a bit of a feline hiss to it. From the moment that he looked up into the pair of dark eyes, with their slitted pupils, Rogerik knew he was in deep trouble.  
  
"Sh-Shikyo! Erm... well, I was, uh, looking for, umm... water nymphs! Yep... I heard they're pretty common around here, so..." The blond rogue quickly shoved the binoculars in the bushed, looping the cord around one of the branches. Not surprisingly, the English teacher didn't buy Rogerik's rather lame excuse. "Really? Well then, I suppose you wouldn't mind handing over that pair of binoculars you have, hm?"  
  
"No, sir..." Rogerik glumly onwrapped the nylon cord and deposited the binoculars into Shikyo's outstretched hand. The cat took one quick look around, then nudged Rogerik with his foot, hissing in his ear, "Hey, shove over."  
  
The thief did a double take, but complied, moving from his spot by about a foot or two, then watched as the cat-demon crouched down, binoculars glued to his eyes. He was about to say something, but Shikyo held up one hand and smirked. "You don't tell anyone, and I can change that C of yours to a B."  
  
"B plus."  
  
"Deal."  
  
It was sweltering, and the humidity made it seem impossible to breathe, much less cook dinner over an open fire. Still, this did not deter the students from building a huge bonfire in the middle of the campgrounds. As the younger students were sent to go collect firewood (with the supervision of Djornn and Rachel), Rachel had taken charge of the high-school groups, and was currently trying to turn them into five-star cooks.  
  
Meaning, she was acting as drill sergeant to a bunch of teenagers that could barely peel potatoes without cutting off a finger in the process.  
  
Whoo... what memories this experience was sure to create.  
  
"I hate this trip." This was the most likely the umpteenth time that Yusuke had spoken those four words; and, while it had been amusing the first two or three times, most of his companions merely gave him dirty looks before getting back to work. "Oh, I'm sure you do, Yusuke. In fact, the entire trip was planned just to make you miserable." Lyonell grumpily quipped, struggling to open a vacuum-sealed hotdog wrapper without aid of a knife or scissors. The spirit detective snorted and got back to slicing raw veggies, accidentally nicking his finger with the knife he held.  
  
"Argh... crap." Yusuke dropped the offending kitchen utensil and grabbed a napkin from one of the picnic tables, then watched as his friends slaved away. Noticing Lyonell was particularly having trouble, he helpfully suggested, "You know, man, you have claws; use them."  
  
"... shut up." The cat demon twitched his golden tail in annoyance, then shredded the hotdog wrapping within seconds, trying his best not to give Yusuke the evil eye in the process. What he wouldn't give for a McDonalds way out here... No, Wendy's; Wendy's was definitely much better than McDonalds. Kurama, taking note of the cat's peevish attitude, gave a pacifying smile and shrugged.  
  
"To tell the truth, Lyonell, cooking isn't that bad; but it would be much better if we could rid ourselves of these bees." The fox waved one away from his head, but the little insect only returned, this time with two others, and they hovered over Kurama's workplace.  
  
"Kurama, bees make honey, and honey makes Baklava, so they're alright with me." Holly walked by, a tray of cooked hotdogs and hamburgers balanced on one hand, and a pitcher of lemonade in the other; her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and wisps of red-brown strands hung in her face. The boys stared at her, the witch's explanation of the universal importance of bees seemingly random to them, and Holly broke out into a sheepish smile. "What? What'd I say?"  
  
"Nothing..."  
  
"Nope, I'll just move over here... away from you."  
  
Holly's smile turned to a frown, and she glared at Yusuke and Lyonell before turning on her heel and walking off, with a shout of, "Meanies!" lingering in the air after her.  
  
Kurama, still smiling, but now with a sweatdrop rolling down his temple, refused to answer Lyonell's question of "...what the hell does baklava have to do with camping..?"  
  
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Gaah... . I'm so goddamn braindead... Will finish second half of their April vacation later this week; hopefully by Sunday.  
  
Finals bite (really, they do. Or they spit, as in the case of our practical on llama handling)... Fencing is tiring... and baby-sitting is wearing me out. And lets not even talk about the hours of sleep I've lost because Harvest Moon is so addicting; someone has to forcibly wrench the PS2 controller from my hands if I start playing, because if they don't, I don't eat, sleep, or do my homework...  
  
Wow, that's pathetic; I live in the middle of Hicksville, go to an agricultural school, and yet I play a farming simulation game...  
  
...  
  
Okay... you may begin the smiting. The review/ verbal abuse button is on the bottom left-hand corner; Use it as you wish. 


	35. About time vacation was over

Quote of the week: "It takes a lot of courage to admit you're wrong; preferably mixed with the right amounts of stupidity and alcohol." -Sam  
  
To all those who were hoping I'd update on Sunday, I'm sorry - sleep won yet again. ;;  
  
But, I will rejoice anyways, 'cause I finally got my hands on a FLCL soundtrack and my last few days of school is made up of half-days.   
  
Oh, because Ryu-sama asked me, I'm going to give a few quick bios about some of the characters. I can understand if some characters are forgotten (such as Djornn or Rachel) because I don't use them often. I even forget them sometimes. ;; However, I won't do all of them in one chapter, and you can look up reader-sent characters on the review page. For now, I'll just use the four main characters that live with Yusuke & co.  
  
Name: Lyra Admarant Age: 16 (was 15 at start of school year) Gender: female Birthday: February 22 Sign: Pisces Race: Human Appearance: About five foot four (hah! She grew an inch since the beginning of the year!), with black hair that comes down a little past her waist and is often tied in a braid. Average build (well, average for anime girls), fair skin, and dark blue eyes. Has pierced ears. Personality: Lyra has tamed down a bit from when I first started writing her, and tries to be the big sister to everyone in the house. She's very gentle, and dislikes hurting others. She is modest, and enjoys drawing and reading; She loves music, and has a soundproofed room so her stereo won't bother anyone. Extra: Lyra has a pet lovebird named Salvatore, can manipulate water, and knows minor weather-related spells (can make small rain clouds). Her father, a former employee of King Enma, sent her and Lark to the academy to live there since their mother went missing when Lyra was eight. Apparently, she used to live with her family by the spirit's spring. Lyra has a crush on Kurama, despite his Youko side.  
  
Name: Lark Admarant Age: 14 (turns fifteen near end of vacation) Gender: Female Birthday: April 16 Sign: Aries Race: Human Appearance: Around five foot five, long black hair, average build, fair skin, and gray-blue eyes. Lark often wears short skirts, and has a very inventive wardrobe. Pierced ears, and often wears her pentacle necklace. Personality: Ecstatic, enthusiastic, and a bit out of control at times. Lark can be aggressive and competitive, but has a good heart. Tends to act tough, but can be easily discouraged. Extra: Lark seems to have less control of her abilities than Lyra. She enjoys writing, and posts fan fiction. Her dad left her at the academy with Lyra, and her mom has been missing. Often "borrows" the book her mother left for them from Lyra's room. She plays the violin and is a member of the drama club. Lark used to have a pet mouse, but it went... missing - Kyuro is the main suspect as to why.  
  
Name: Holly Landon Age: 14 Gender: Female Birthday: June 25 Sign: Cancer Race: Wind witch Appearance: about five foot four, with red/brown shoulder length hair and brown/hazel eyes. Carries around an ash-twig and mahogany broom, and has an average build. Personality: Holly is the optimist, and is the perfect mix between Lark's sheer energy and Lyra's calm disposition. She can be moody at times, and often argues with Kyuro. Extra: Holly has lived with her grandmother ever since her parents divorced, but doesn't mention much about her family... most likely because she's embarrassed of them, somehow. Kyuro, a black cat, is her familiar, and has been bound to her family for generations. Her broom also has a protective spell placed upon it, by her grandmother, and burns anyone with intent to harm her while she's flying. (Fun Fact: Ash trees were considered wards against unholy creatures, and were said to protect anyone who hid in them from witches, devils, and werewolves.)  
  
Name: Rogerik Lewis Age: 15 Gender: Male Birthday: August 5 Sign: Leo Race: Human Appearance: Blond unruly hair, gray/green eyes, five foot five, and has a slim build. Often wears a long-sleeved button down shirt and jeans. Personality: Intelligent and logical, Rogerik is timid, and hates conflict. He's flirtatious around the ladies, but has settled down since then; he prefers to sit on the sidelines rather than fight. Seems to have a problem where he enjoys unlocking anything there is in the house using his PK; also has minor kleptomania. Extra: Rogerik doesn't talk about his life outside of the academy, and seems to be reluctant to return home. He was transferred to the dorm because of a break-in at the beginning of the school year (see chapters 4 & 5), and shares the basement room with Jin. Has a multitude of small dust- spiders as pets.  
  
Oh, and real quick, happy birthday to Amazing Grace7, who turned fourteen! May Harvey the Wonder Hamster provide you with birthday entertainment. Watch him dance!  
  
Harvey the Wonder Hamster: does a little jig while wearing a multi-colored party hat. squee!  
  
Thank you! That is all!  
  
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The sky was clear, stars twinkling through the warped glass windowpanes, moonlight falling upon the three bunk beds in the small cabin. The inhabitants, a trio of high school-age girls, slept peacefully, tuckered out after cooking dinner with the "aid" of their fellow classmates. Except one of the bunkmates wasn't sleeping - something in the cool night air tantalized his acute senses and refused to let him slumber.  
  
Mind you, this wasn't a good type of tantalizing; the welcome kind would be watching the turkey come out of the oven right before Thanksgiving dinner, or being drawn to a display in a small downtown shop, maybe even watch someone eat ice cream on a day bordering one hundred degrees. No, something was wrong... very wrong indeed.  
  
His tail stiff as a pole, Kyuro sat on the windowsill, green eyes focused out towards the wooded expanse outside the cabin window. His ears pricked up, as if hearing something, and he immediately stiffened, the fur on his neck bristling and his mouth opened in a silent yowl. Face still in a grimace, the familiar jumped down from the window sill and slunk over to Holly's bed, curling up to her, his head resting on her neck, the brass bell tied to his collar muffled by the cotton sheets, and gave a small sigh, his whiskers drooping a little.  
  
He never closed his eyes.  
  
Was not even sleep sacred anymore? As Yusuke grumpily turned over on his bunk, pillow half-over his head, he came to the conclusion that no, it was not.  
  
Well no kidding, nitwit.  
  
After all, if it were, what would a floating skull be doing hovering around his head?  
  
'Waitaminute... floating...skull..?' the thought took only a nanosecond for it too process in Yusuke's brain, and that was all that was needed to wake him up. "Alright, sucker, don't bother mov- Eh? Bones?" The spirit detective lowered his hand, the familiar blue energy dimming from the tip of his pointer finger. The canine skull clacked its jaws together, the firefly eyes flashing in happiness, and floated away from Yusuke's bunk, reassembling itself. With a groan, Yusuke curled up in the blankets even tighter and squeezed his eyes shut. "Go bother Kuwabara." Bones cocked his head, and put his front paws on the edge of the spirit detective's bunk, his tail drooping. Realizing the dog was still there, Yusuke reached back and took one of Bones' ribs, the tossed it into the open closet. "There; go fetch."  
  
Bones focused his eerie green eyes at the closet, his tail wagging slightly, then shook his head and placed a skeletal paw on Yusuke's shoulder, grinding his molars together to make something between a growl and a whine. When the Japanese teen refused to acknowledge him, the skeleton back down and dejectedly walked over to a corner on the other side of the room; Yusuke sighed in relief and relaxed his grip on the pillow.  
  
Big mistake there.  
  
There was a clatter on the wooden floor, and the next thing Yusuke knew, he was sitting in a pile of bleached canine bones. With a yelp, he fell off of his bed and landed with a loud thunk on the cabin floor, the remnants of the skeleton falling to the floor along with him, only to look up to the creepy grin that was plastered on the dog's skull. His chocolate brown eyes narrowed, Yusuke tried his best to not let his anger get the best of him and grumbled, "Feeling special, now, aren't we?"  
  
That skeletal grin still on his face, Bones reassembled himself and proceeded to trot around Yusuke, tail whipping in the air and claws enthusiastically tapping on the floor.  
  
"Bones, go to bed!" from Kuwabara's bunk, a pillow was lightly tossed at the dog, and the skeleton hid behind Yusuke as the spirit detective struggled to his feet. "He's right, now go." The spirit detective pointed a finger at the closet, and was rewarded by having a half-full water bottle chucked at his head. "You too, Urameshi..." Kuwabara's voice then faded into a soft snore, and Yusuke checked the bunk across from his to make sure Justin wasn't awake as well. Seeing that he wasn't, Yusuke scooped Bones up in his arms and tossed the undead dog in the closet, then shut the door and put a backpack against it so Bones wouldn't forcibly open it. That done, he was about to get back in bed and crawl under the covers when he noticed something was wrong; Ayame's bunk was empty.  
  
"What the- when does he sleep?" In a flash, the spirit detective pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, then grabbed his sneakers from under his bunk and left the bedroom. Sitting there, staring up at the screen door with a lonesome expression, was a large, black iguana-like reptile, which was lighting up the lounge with the flames on its back. Ayame's pet took one look at Yusuke, then reared up on its hind legs and clawed at the screen door, making little cooing sounds as it did so.  
  
"So, Ayame left you behind, huh?" The spirit detective pulled on his sneakers and tied them up, then put one hand on the screen door handle. "If I let you out, will you lead me to Ayame?" The reptile gave Yusuke a dirty look, then slowly bobbed its head up and down. The spirit detective shrugged and opened the door, trying not to trip as the fire demon's pet swarmed out over his foot. "You know, I didn't actually think you'd answer me."  
  
"Jin, what are you doing up? It's almost midnight..." Lyonell yawned and looked over at the open window, where the shinobi was carefully perched. Jin jumped a little, and turned to the cat demon, a troubled smile on his face and his blue eyes holding a worried gleam to them. "It's nothing, Lyonell; I must've eaten too many s'mores. Go back to sleep-" the soft breeze that had once caressed the sleeping students inside let loose with a howl, and Jin jumped from the window sill, watching with wide eyes as the window pane slammed shut with a loud thud, the glass shattering from the force of the impact.  
  
"Wha? Hey, what's going on?" Rogerik tiredly yawned, stretching an arm as he sat up in his bunk, his gray-green eyes half-shut. Noticing the glass shards on the floor, he stopped in mid-stretch and seemed to snap to attention. "What happened?"  
  
"Eh, nothing, really. Eh-heh-heh..." Jin quickly snuck out of the bedroom to go get a dustpan and broom from the lounge, while Lyonell was left in the bedroom. With a sigh, the cat bent down and started picking up the larger shards while Rogerik got out of bed and pulled on his sneakers. "Something isn't right around here, you know. It's weird, 'cause these energy spikes just happen during the middle of the night and keep me from sleeping..." The thief grimaced as his lower leg knotted up, the beginnings of a cramp, and he hobbled over to the bedroom door; the door slid open on it's own, and Kurama stood in the doorway, with what could only be expressed as surprise on his handsome face. "Have any of you gotten in contact with the girls?"  
  
Lyonell stood back up, dumping the glass shards in the trash bucket, and shook his head. "Huh? No, we haven't, why?"  
  
The fox sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Something's prowling around nearby; it isn't even within radius of the campsite and I can sense it from here - its energy is amazingly malignant."  
  
"Alright, I know I understood some, but can you simplify that into little words? For the cat's sake, here." Kurama took one look at Rogerik and Lyonell's blank expressions, and sighed. "There is a really bad ...thing coming this way, and it's very violent."  
  
"Ohhh..." a minute of uninterrupted silence, then: "Crap."  
  
"Precisely, which is why Hiei went to go check on them." Kurama sunk down on the couch in the lounge, running a hand through his red hair. "I'm starting to wonder why I didn't stay behind; worse things could be happening at the school itself."  
  
"Come on, Kurama! Cheer up!" Jin, as optimistic as always, floated next to the fox, handing him a glass of water, and then rushed out the front door before anyone could stop him. The three students heard a hoarse yell, which most likely belonged to Djornn, then the howl of violent wind and the rhythmic pounding of hooves on the gravel path. Lyonell got the broom from its abandoned spot on the floor, twirling it in one hand, and shook his head. "And yet again, he goes off to play the hero."  
  
The wind picked up, whipping the trees into a frenzy, and rain started to fall, biting into the flesh like needles; animals went into hiding, taking refuge underneath trees and rocks, some of them going so far as to try and sneak in through the occasional open cabin window. Of course, not even one little fuzzy woodland creature dared stray near one cabin - especially when Koryu was acting as watchdog.  
  
The monstrous creature was curled by the front door, or, to be more precise, had totally sprawled out in from of the cabin, his tail winding well around the corner; his larger pair of red eyes wide open and the shimmering fin that ran down the middle of his spine, ending in a fanned tail, catching every breeze. In Koryu's short lifespan, he had never encountered a storm such as this, but, somewhere locked away within the ancestral memories of his predecessors, every fiber in his being told him to take cover.  
  
Which was all the more reason to protect Lyra-dono, according to him.  
  
As far as he was concerned, nothing was more important than this task, and no creature, no matter how large or small, would get by. The other girls, the intruders who dared share a room with his beloved water sprite (for what else could such a delicate creature be?), had stayed wary of his presence; even the little two-tailed fox, who he had heard boasting of her prowess as he tagged along behind the ship that the school had hired, had ran in fear at the tiniest glance of his powerful jaws; one flash from his ruby-red eyes was enough to make even the eldest of the girls, a unicorn hidden in a humanoid form, shake in terror. But, in order to protect her, all the fright and nervousness that radiated off of those that surrounded her, an almost intoxicating smell, was worth it - if only he could stay forever by her side.  
  
However, this breeze was not something to be trifled with. The promises that these winds bore were not happy ones, and whoever had issued them was one very unhappy camper indeed. Koryu lifted his ebony head, taking in the moist, cold air with one sharp intake, then shivered despite his thick, waterproof fur. With a quiet growl, he huddled closer to the screen door that separated him from the warmth of the indoors, the fins on his upper arms flexing slightly. Whatever this strange being was, it would have to go over Koryu's dead body before he would allow it to get close to Lyra.  
  
"Hey, slow down, you! I only have two legs!" Despite the infuriatingly stupidity of his predicament, Yusuke trudged through the infinitely numerous prickle bushes, following the illumination of the fiery lizard that scampered along the trail ahead of him. No matter how much he tried to set landmarks - a snapped branch here, a pile of rocks there...- the spirit detective had the sinking feeling that he was lost in the woods. In fact, his entire situation didn't look to good; here he was, in unknown territory, following a living bonfire, during an increasingly dangerous storm, in an effort to find a demon that loathed his very existence.  
  
Well, zippy-dee-doo-dah, wasn't life just gorgeous?  
  
"Why am I even doing this..?" Yusuke griped aloud, not caring if the reptile ahead of him heard.  
  
'Because it's the right thing to do?'  
  
'Wha? Since when did the right thing matter during vacation?'  
  
'Since when did you begin talking to yourself?'  
  
'Since when did I start answering myself?'  
  
'Thatta boy; time to go see the school counselor!'  
  
"Agh! Dammit!" The teen testily thumped his head on a tree trunk, then took a deep breath. "Oh-kay, then... let's just get this over with and go back home. I hate this island..." The reptile ahead of him paused for a moment on thin tree branch, using its long tail as a balance as it cocked an eye at its surroundings, then screeched; it leapt from its perch, sending the young branch on a furious recoil back at Yusuke's face, and the spirit detective swore. The reptile screeched again, this time looking back at Yusuke, and tossed a dirty clump of moss back at the boy, then rushing forwards again.  
  
It ran along the ground in short bursts and starts; always in view but never close enough to be touched. With every step, Yusuke became more aware of how the ground sucked at his shoes, and the faint wisps of light that dotted the edges of his vision. As if to confirm his suspicions, the ground gave way underneath his right foot and he tripped, landing on his knees in muck and muddy water. He had blundered right into a swamp.  
  
And from the looks of the miniscule fire that wandered above the water's surface, this swamp was infested with wandering souls. Maybe, with a little luck, he wouldn't become one.  
  
As Yusuke struggled out of the muck, his feet sunk deep into the mud - halfway up to his knees - and he swore in frustration. Ayame's lizard was seated upon a tuft of grass that had managed to grow in the horrid conditions; the black creature cocked its head and made a chirping noise, then sniffed the brown and black water that swirled under its scaly muzzle. "I don't suppose you could help me out, could you?" Slitted eyes met brown ones, and Yusuke sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I thought as much..."  
  
"Since when did you start taking walks in the swamp, Urameshi?" The voice was low and full of malice, causing Yusuke to groan in realization. "After all the trouble I went through to find you, all I get for thanks is sarcasm."  
  
The familiar shock of orange hair could be seen in the edges of his vision, up in the low-hanging branches of a withered old tree. A slight thump announced the demon's descent, his sneakers snapping a brittle twig on the ground, and the fire youkai sneered down upon the human. 'Damn. It figures I stumble into the swamp while he finds the only stable ground.'  
  
"Well? No swearing or cursing? That's a pity." Ayame quipped, balancing on the balls of his feet, while his pet swarmed onto his shoulder in an ecstatic show of affection. The young fire demon gave the lizard a quick scratch under it scaly chin, and smiled as the reptile purred in satisfaction. "You know, I'm surprised you were stupid enough to come out here." Ignoring Yusuke's bristling, Ayame stood up and casually leaned against a tree, watching Yusuke struggle in the mud with a smirk on his face. "I heard there was a strong demon out here, but all I can find are a few pathetic will-o-the-wisps; hardly worth the effort, if you know what I mean."  
  
"So you've been following this rumor the entire time?" The spirit detective's mind wasn't really into the conversation, considering the fact that the swamp mud had suddenly seemed to gain a life of its own, and was unusually stubborn in releasing his leg. Stupid mud... stupid swamp... stupid island... in fact, the more he thought about it, the entire Academy case was rather stupid in itself. Ayame wasn't in the mood to listen to any griping, however, and got a rope that had been looped around a low tree branch. The Japanese teen stopped struggling for a second and looked over at the demon. "Oh, hey, can you toss me an end? I could use some help in getting out."  
  
Ayame ignored him, and, with a few quick loops, tied one end around the tree's trunk. He made a loop out of the other end and tossed it into the swamp, making it neatly around Yusuke's neck and tightening around his waist. "Alright, man! I knew you weren't that bad!"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
The statement caught Yusuke off-guard for a moment, but he shrugged it off. "Hey, I know you don't like humans much, so I won't tell your buddies that you're helping me out of here."  
  
"I'm not helping you."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"You're the bait."  
  
With a sinking feeling, Yusuke realized that, too late, the mud was trying to drag him in, the brown mess reaching up in tendrils and wrapping around his limbs; it was up to his waist now, and was making the rope too slippery to grab hold to. His legs were imprisoned, and he was too tired to fight, as if all his energy had been sucked out of him, and he lost all will to even move - much less think of a witty comeback. His mind grew foggy, the will-o-the-wisps that lit the swamp becoming mere blurs on the edges of his vision; the blurs grew into shapes, the shapes turned into people - human, demon, young, old, of almost every race and size - and through his numb mind, Yusuke realized...  
  
The swamp was to blame...  
  
Rain lashed at his body, sliding down the cabin walls after exploding into tiny, miniscule, droplets and soaking his fur even more. Somewhere in the trees, a branch snapped, and he almost blamed the wind, except that a soft cough accompanied it. Three pairs of eyes of the same bloody color met, and a soft growl escaped his throat from behind shockingly white teeth.  
  
"Shut up, you water-logged rat. Kurama asked me to make sure none of the girls got hurt."  
  
"Does it look like any harm has come to them, you little wretch? Go, your business is done here; and tell Kurama he is free to come himself next time." Koryu turned his back to the Jaganshi, his fins reflecting even the tiniest amounts of moonlight, and waited for Hiei to leave. With inhuman silence, the demon was gone.  
  
The wind was a razor, cutting through trees and shrubbery; Jin was indeed lucky that he had chosen to erect a barrier of wind around himself, one that spun in an opposite direction from the storm and made the two flows of air clash with a feral ferocity. The opposing wind might have made the going slow, but it was still much faster than traveling by foot.  
  
With a loud shout, a gray blur, undoubtedly equine, galloped underneath the wind master. Well, maybe air wasn't the fastest way to go, but...  
  
Aw, what the heck, all that mattered was that he made it to the source of this troubling vortex of misused energy and power. The energy pulsed even stronger, and the demon's ears twitched - not in joy but annoyance. This entire section of the island had a mighty strange feeling to it; not sorrowful, no... but it wasn't good either. The flow of ki seemed to bog down his mind, his senses... it made him seem so... tired...  
  
With a start, Jin snapped awake, perking up just in time to avoid crashing into the mud and reeds below. He pulled up sharply, accidentally crashing his head on a tree branch - his shield must've dispersed when he passed out - and yelped in pain. With his head now (painfully) in order, the demon sighed and floated in that air for a second, sitting Indian-style.  
  
"Alright, that was pretty bad... hopefully no one saw that one..?" His blue eyes peering all around, the wind master gave a satisfied nod, and stretched. The air around him kicked up, and his ears twitched once again. "Let's try this again."  
  
"This is getting good." Ayame sat by the banks of the swamp, his pet reptile in his lap, watching the mud tentacles grow and bring Yusuke to the very bottom in their putrid grasp. Who knew how many others had perished in this bog? And really, who cared? Ayame had looked for months on data for the sorrow-laden myths that surrounded this swamp, just as he had with many other famous locales and creatures, and the information he had found amazed him.  
  
Through the sheer number of imprisoned souls and devoured flesh, the swamp itself had become alive.  
  
Even now, the living bog was trying to drag down Yusuke to its murky depths, entangle him in centuries-old aquatic plants, and slowly devour him as only a living puddle of muck and mud can.  
  
Despite Ayame's chipper thought process on how the spirit detective's corpse would look like after being imprisoned underwater for a good half- century, a resounding crack broke the silence, and the demon looked behind him, ready to fight. A tree branch was moved out of the way with a rustle of its rich leaves, and a gray shadow stood in the dark forest pathway. It strode forwards, with the familiar clip-clopping of dull hooves, and Djornn stood among the last straggles of brush, a grim look on his normally gentle face. The centaur held a thick stave of wood, most likely a branch he'd picked up on the way there, and menacingly ground the end of it into the spongy dirt.  
  
"What happened here?" His voice was even, menacing, and Ayame had to think of a lie- fast. "Urameshi went out on his own, sir. I followed, and he got stuck; when I threw the rope to him, he ignored it and tried to struggle out, which made him sink faster."  
  
"Now if that ain't a lie, than you can saw my horn off!" With a slight growl, Ayame saw the energetic young demon sitting high up in the willow tree, tossing a pebble up in the air and catching it. Cornered between that stupid horse of a teacher, and Windy the leprechaun...  
  
As if noticing the sudden arrival of more meals, the mud heaved towards land, totally burying Yusuke in the process. Tendrils shot out, searching through the reeds for the intruder, and met the hard surface of Djornn's hooves. The teacher reared up, slashing the tendrils to ribbons with his hooves, and whipped around, holding the staff in an attack pose. A thinker tendril, this time resembling more of a lump of goo than the formerly delicate tentacles, shot out of the water, landing between the centaurs front hooves, then proceeded to sluggishly move along the ground. Ayame grimaced, his reptilian pet crawled onto his shoulders, and the fire demon stood up in a rush, backing away from the banks and closer to dry land.  
  
With another heave, a second blob was sent onto land, connected to the larger mass by thin, spidery strands of ooze, and Djornn backed up, towards the woods, his rear hooves nervously skittering over the slick ground. Blue eyes wide, the shinobi dropped out of the tree with a gust of wind to keep him from falling entirely, and yelled over the noise; the vicious zephyr of earlier had long since been quelled, and now he tried to be louder than his own air pocket.  
  
"Djornn, you distract The Blob, I'll go get Yusuke!" The centaur grunted in reply, which Jin took as a "sure", and hovered over the spot where the spirit detective had been seen last; face filled with worry, the elven- eared demon looked for anything of his friend, and his blue eyes widened in excitement. "Got 'im!"  
  
Now, wasn't this funny? Although he could clearly remember the shocking cold of death, here he was lying down in an empty field, during the middle of the day. Daisies bobbed and danced in the gentle breeze, and a yellow butterfly flew in herky-jerk motions across his line of vision. With a grunt he sat up, shaking his head a little to clear it, and his brown eyes widened.  
  
He closed his eyes, counted to ten, and opened them again; the field was still there.  
  
So he wasn't dreaming - well, not entirely. He stumbled a little as he stood up, and rested his hands on his knees for a minute, then took a deep breath. The air was clean, free from any dirt or grime of his city life, and no stray energy roamed its currents.  
  
"Yusuke, are you alright?" The voice was joyously familiar, and the teen turned around, brushing a bit of black hair from in front of his face as he did so. Standing there, in plain view, was Keiko.  
  
Her brown hair shone in the bright sun, and a gentle smile graced her face. She wore a plain yellow sundress, and had her hands clasped behind her back, brown eyes twinkling happily.  
  
"It's about time you came home. We were starting to get worried about you."  
  
"Uh, we?" The spirit detective just stood there, witless, as Keiko ran up and grabbed his hand.  
  
"Of course, silly! Everyone's here!" She pointed far towards the horizon, and Yusuke suddenly noticed a small cottage in the middle of the field (not to mention wondered why the heck is wasn't there before). "Come on, we've been waiting so long for you." Tossing all questions aside with a shrug, the teenager smiled like a giddy little schoolboy and followed Keiko in a mad dash towards the house.  
  
The tiny home was a pale blue, with a wraparound porch, complete with porch swing, and an apple tree provided shade for half of the backyard; the yard was neat, with immaculately trimmed grass and five tables, two buffet table and three picnic ones, organized perfectly. Keiko had indeed spoken the truth, because not only were his three teammates there (with Kuwabara tending the grill wearing an apron that read: "I didn't know buffalos had wings"), but so were Genkai, Botan, Yukina, and, wonder of wonders, Koenma.  
  
Now this, this was pretty strange.  
  
"Yusuke, hon!" He turned around, and what he saw was, indeed, the icing on the cake. It was his mother, in a dress and apron, coming down the porch steps while carrying a tray of pastries. Mouth agape Yusuke only watched as his mother gave him a sickenly sweet smile, and brought the tray to one of the food-laden buffet tables. "Honey, what took you so long? I've been worried sick." Atsuko wrapped Yusuke in a tight hug, and something in the detective's mind clicked. There was no way that any of it could real... Atsuko acting all motherly like this..? No, it was impossible... wasn't it? But with one look around the yard, at all his friends chatting and laughing together, he wished it wasn't.  
  
The ground suddenly shook, and the image in front of him froze. The warm mid-summer air became cold - so cold he couldn't think straight - and it seemed like water filled his mouth; the taste of dead things and ancient dirt accompanying it. Then it all shattered, like a broken mirror. Everything became fractured, splintered, and kept on breaking into smaller and smaller pieces until they faded out of existence in a whirlwind of shrapnel. When all was said and done, he was left in a void of gray, with only the still mostly whole figure of Keiko, the edge of her yellow sundress quickly breaking away, and working up towards her head; yet she still had that dashingly loving smile on her face, although her eyes looked a bit sad.  
  
"Yusuke, come home soon...please..."  
  
"No, wait! Kei-"  
  
With a rush that felt as if it tore his soul from his body, he felt himself lying on solid ground again. As he slowly cracked his eyelids open, the sudden burst of the speckled dark blue of the night sky gave him a painful jerk into existence. As if his sudden headache (most likely caused by head trauma that occurred while he was being dragged to freedom) wasn't enough, the most annoyingly happy voice known to man practically screamed, "Well, it's 'bout time ya woke up, Urameshi!" Add a smile that was way too happy for this time of night, and Yusuke was about ready to kill.  
  
"Shut up or you'll get a spirit gun right up where the sun doesn't shine." Yusuke went to sit up, but the rush of blood to his head and nausea made him flop back down. "...once I can raise my arm... ow."  
  
"Man, I can't believe we're finally going back to school... the last three days seemed like months, you know what I mean?"  
  
"Don't have to remind me twice." Rogerik yawned, and sat down on his bunk, watching as Lyonell and Kurama finished packing. "Once I get on the boat, I'm going to sleep..." The thief was about to nod off, when the sliding bedroom door slammed open, and a heavy, blunt object made connection with his head.  
  
"I think those belong to you! You-you... dammit, I hate you, you lousy jerk! Just go and die somewhere!"  
  
The door slammed shut, and both demons looked at the spot where Lark had been, then turned to Rogerik's prone body on the floor, and the pair of binoculars next to him. After a moment of silence, Kurama finally said, in an even tone, "Well, that went better than I expected." The cat demon nodded in reply, and muttered, "At least he'll only have a minor concussion..."  
  
There was a shout from outside, an unmistakable roll call, and the two animal spirits grabbed their bags. Looking back and sighing, Lyonell shouldered Rogerik's bag, put the binoculars in it, and helped Kurama drag the unconscious psychic out of the cabin.  
  
'Tonight is going to be World War three...' the fox looked down at the thief, who had a giant bruise on his right temple, and gave a small smile. 'But at least it was fun while it lasted.'  
  
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I'll do Wheel of Torture next chapter, because I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible. I think Pegacorn had an idea, so... yeah. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.  
  
Well, to tell you all about my year at the Aggie, here's a list to let you know what it's like to be there.  
  
You know you go to Essex Aggie when...  
  
You suddenly notice girls outnumber boys by three to one. (If you're a boy, you suddenly become MUCH more popular.)  
  
Most of your teachers were students at the Aggie themselves.  
  
All the seniors and Ag teachers are too lazy to walk, so they drive six- wheeled all-terrain vehicles to get around campus.  
  
There are more gay/lesbian couples than straight couples  
  
The prom queen is a gay guy named Rodney. Everyone agrees that it's fitting, and Rodney and his boyfriend make a cute King and Queen of the prom.  
  
You are outsmarted nearly every Ag day by the same twenty-something crickets.  
  
A seven foot tall teacher suddenly appears behind you... even though he's supposedly in another section of the building.  
  
You get detention, and the next thing you know, you're in the cattle barn with you arm up a cow's butt, wearing rubber gloves that come up to your shoulders. (Just guess why they're that long.)  
  
Your teacher threatens to feed you to the guest speaker's Great Danes if you're too loud.  
  
You're one of the shortest people in the class, but you get stuck grooming, tacking up, and riding the biggest horse on campus.  
  
For your final, your teacher gives you a pair of waders, a turkey baster, a floating tray, and a small net, brings you to a swamp, and tells you to "Go find something!"  
  
The same teacher sits in a fold-up camping chair that she brought with her on her six-wheel all-terrain vehicle, chats with the assistant teacher, and watches the class muck around in the mud.  
  
Your PE teacher substitutes for your biology class, and decides to take a bite out of the carbon that you made in the previous class using sugar and sulfuric acid. It's funny enough when he makes a disgusted face when he eats it, but you should see what happens when you tell him what was used to make it.  
  
The assistant principal puts in a joke article in the school newspaper about the incident, and adds in parts about your PE teacher fainting, suffering from shock, and having to be given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by the crossing guard.  
  
There are rumors about your Plant Science teacher having a romantic, after- hours tryst with the crossing guard.  
  
You think it's perfectly normal that wild turkeys are chasing students around campus.  
  
Your teachers go tobogganing on the first snowy day instead of assigning you homework.  
  
Your math teacher looks like Mario.  
  
Your PE teacher marries the special education teacher.  
  
The picture on everyone's student ID makes him or her looked stoned.  
  
Your teacher starts a class by saying, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen... and those who aren't sure."  
  
You are allowed to use pitchforks, shovels, and other sharp yard tools... without supervision.  
  
Your teacher sends you out to work in the flowerbeds, even if it's a hurricane outside.  
  
Your friend names her potato plant Cujo.  
  
You are graded on how well you can use a plasma cutter, acetylene rig, and propane torch, and how well you drive a go-cart.  
  
A cow "Mysteriously" goes missing... the next day, there are hamburgers for lunch.  
  
Well, that's all. Ciao. 


	36. A new twist on school

Disclaimer: ...after so long, I think you know I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Quote of the week: "He may not be as dumb as we thought, but he's not nearly as intelligent as we hoped." -my mother, commenting on our cat.  
  
School is almost done... so these chapters are going to be up as soon as possible. Also, during the summer, I'm planning on writing a few co- authored fics with my sister and buddies (along with a new fiction of my own).  
  
Oh, and I'm doing reviews!  
  
Pegacorn: Ne... I didn't think my school would be that popular... ;; Don't blame you for wanting to go the Aggie or Academy, though. I think that if I do a sequel, though, I'd set myself up a schedule for them, put it on my computer, and check up on it if I got confused about what classes they're in - I hate having to refer back to the earlier chapters to see who in what, so the academy is a tad disorganized as a result. (not like that had anything to do with the review, just thought I'd throw the idea up in the air... to remind myself to do it...)  
  
AzureDragoness: Ooh! Thank you about doing those sketches. I know I mentioned that in your e-mail, but just the same. Maybe if I get my scanner working, I'll e-mail you my own pictures of them... IF it works... damn modern-day technology. .  
  
Note: To Cerebral Juxtapose: In case you're reading this, so you don't feel all dejected and stuff, I would have put in your character, but you never gave him a name. Sorry dude.  
  
But until then, let's focus on the present and wrap the year up, ne? Only about seven chapters to go...  
  
And here are some more character bios. (oh, made an error on Holly's zodiac sign - it's Gemini, not Cancer)  
  
Name: Rachel Russo Age: 24 Gender: female Birthday: August 26 Sign: Virgo Race: human Appearance: About five foot eight, slim build, brown medium-length hair, brown eyes, and pierced ears. Personality: Strict and straightforward, Rachel is a kind soul, but teaches based on tough love. She's very intelligent and responsible. Extra: She's a plant manipulation teacher, and also chaperones the tantei's dorm. She's exceptionally enduring, and uses very little spirit energy. Eventually becomes headmistress.  
  
Name: Erica Harding Age: 117 (and still counting) Gender: female Birthday: July 14 Sign: Cancer Race: witch Appearance: Plump and full of energy, Erica looks half her age (which is saying a lot). 5'3", gray hair (usually in a bun), and blue eyes. Personality: Caring and sweet, Erica likes to spoil the students living in her dorm. She's pretty feisty, though, for an old woman... Extra: Although she wouldn't say it outright, Erica has four children, seven grandchildren, and over ten great-grandchildren. She spoils them all rotten, and that's not counting her nieces and nephews. She's proficient in defensive shields, but bindings and charms are her specialties. Can fly on a broom, and is good friends with Holly's grandmother.  
  
Name: Djornn Cirrushoof Age: 32 Gender: male Birthday: December 5 Sign: Sagittarius (please, who didn't see that coming?) Race: centaur Appearance: Like many centaurs, from his waist down resembles a horse. Apparently, he's some sort of draft-horse centaur, and is a sooty gray, with darker gray flecks. His human torso is of average build, he's rather tan, and his face and arms are faintly red from being near the fire so much. Has kind of long-ish black hair, brown eyes, and a short beard. Personality: Djornn is fun-loving, and a bit of a push-over when compared to the other teachers. He can be easily startled, but has a down-to-earth personality and loads of common sense. He's timid around women, and very polite to them, but becomes so nervous that he can't even walk without tripping over his own hooves. Extra: Djornn teaches fire manipulation and other classes that have to do with metal and fire - most often, shop class. He's pretty good friends with Suzuka, partly because they both teach shop/mechanics classes, and also, since Djornn is a bit of an inventor in his own right, to swap ideas for new inventions. He's also afraid of heights.  
  
Name: Ryo Igarashi Age: ... Ancient. Gender: male Birthday: October 2 Sign: Libra Race: Elf-ish...thing. To tell the truth, no one really knows. Appearance: Ryo barely tops five feet, and resembles an elf (in all respects). He has pointed ears, light-colored hair, green eyes, slightly tan skin, and is very lightly built (to put it bluntly, he's a damn twig). Despite his impressive age, Ryo doesn't look much older than twenty. Personality: Ryo is optimistic, happy-go-lucky, mischievous, and usually has the attention span of a gnat. But when he needs to be, he's incredibly focused and patient. Very intelligent, and has a good sense of humor. Extra: Ryo doesn't say much about his family, except for a brief story about his uncle Tsuyoshi getting his lips stuck in a toaster; however, Lyra found a painting that includes Ryo, a young elf-woman, and a toddler, in the main girls-only dorm. The elf teaches Latin and illusionary arts, and is quad-lingual (if that's even a word.). Also, he seems to have been fairly popular even when he was a student at the academy back in the day, and now has a fangirl ghost pining after him.  
  
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"I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's good to be back in class." Justin slumped in his seat, letting his head fall to the table with a thud. It had been about a week since the end of vacation, and, in his opinion, it couldn't be a better day; finals were scheduled in early June, and all that they had done for the last few days had been reviews. He was glad that he had decided to keep careful track of his notes (and that Chrysanthemum had been unrelenting in her tutoring), so Justin had been able to just laze on through his classes.  
  
Still, Suzuka had given the class more essays than he thought was humanly possible, and almost every student had stayed up the entire last three nights finishing them. If the rest of the history reviews were as difficult as the essays, he would just as well shoot something. With a slight creak, the classroom door opened a fraction of an inch, then a little more, and Suzuka walked in, with a huge stack of books in arm, as the door was slammed open and created yet another small dent in the wall with its brass handle. The books were unceremoniously dumped on his desk (which had been cleaned during vacation, but that hadn't lasted too long), and the tall blond man took his usual position -leaning casually against the edge of his desk. Silence befell the students as he cleared his throat.  
  
"Well, did everyone finish those essays?" A collective mumble met his ears, and he cheerily smiled. "That's good, but put them away for next class. As you know, we have a three-period history class today-" he turned to get a book from somewhere amongst the pile, and shook his head as he heard the multiple groans and laments; turning back to his class, he held a rather thick leather-bound book in hand. " - And I decided to get out of the classroom for once."  
  
Stunned silence, then a few students whooped and many others high-fived each other, while the inventor looked on with a smirk on his face. "Calm down or you'll do more essays."  
  
Every one promptly shut up, and reluctantly pretended to behave.  
  
Suzuka looked over his students and nodded his head in approvement. "Much better. Before we go out, can anyone tell me what we studied a few weeks ago, before vacation?" A hand shot up, and the teacher had to stand up a little more to see the student; little Elaine, for once not cringing behind the student in front of her, had raised her hand. "Go on, Elaine."  
  
"It was the netherworld war, sir." Her voice was clear and held no trace of shyness or fear, and she sat up straight in her seat. The wings on her back twitched every few seconds, but she positively beamed as Suzuka nodded and smiled at her.  
  
"Yes; good job Elaine. For this class, we're going to a demonstration of one of the more lesser-known battles that we've studied before; a skirmish of two small guerilla groups, not much more than ten to a group, and consisted totally in the highland prairies of northern Makai." A few students cheered, others grumbled, and still a select few stayed quiet with a stoic look on their faces. "So, you guys go find a buddy or something of the like, and meet me outside by the old oak tree in front of the building; I'll be down soon."  
  
An inviting late-April breeze wafted through the small four-room cottage that doubled as the classroom for Ms.Hisagawa's mythical creatures class, and rustled the pages of Lyra's textbook. She sighed, and moved her arm to block the wind, her eyes nearly closed from the lull of the afternoon; birds sang merrily outside among the rustling trees, the brightly flowering stalks of Foxglove and Lupine waved in the breeze, and a bright yellow and green butterfly flitted through the open window, coming to a rest on the sill. The day was just too nice to be spent inside reading and taking notes for her final; her gaze drifted over to the open window, but redirected itself to the desk a little over to the left of it; Kurama was hard at work, ignoring the incredibly good weather, and was hunched over his notes and book.  
  
He looked up for a second, perhaps sensing that someone was watching him, and his green eyes met Lyra's own blue ones. She blushed a little, the pink tint spreading over her usually fair skin, and turned her head away before giving him a sheepish smile, which he returned. In order to take her mind off of it, she moved her arm and let the wind rustle the pages, hoping to maybe read a bit to distract herself. In true roulette style, the pages flipped around, the text and colored photos upon the pages becoming a blur, until it finally settled, somewhere around the end of the book - much, much farther than the class had gone.  
  
She was about to go back to a chapter that she needed to really buckle down and review on - something like the Mermecolion or Peryton; Ms. Hisagawa was putting an entire section about hybrids in the test. But, the picture splayed upon the textbook was too intriguing; across both pages was a diagram of a dragon, one that resembled Cecilia in build and structure, down to the very last wingtip and its scaly muzzle. In fancy font, just a page before the diagram, was the title: "Dragons and other winged serpents, chapter 24, section 1".  
  
Now this was luck indeed, and Lyra flipped through the papers, urged onwards by the much more interesting title; only two pages later, a rather helpful page with examples of different eggs was being read. But, as Lyra soon found out, much to her disappointment, no glowing mermaid's purse was present. A rather fruitless search, but, considering the egg hadn't hatched in over a couple of decades (maybe even a century or two), there was probably plenty of time for her to at least identify the species of dragon inside.  
  
"Cheers!" Yukimi lifted her glass of lemonade above her head, clinking glasses with the group of older academy students who sat around the table, and was nearly squeezed to death by a crushing one-armed hug from Chuu. The Aussie demon had left the academy, as the need for alcohol had won out again, and had been looking around and doing odd jobs when Yukimi had hired him to help out; he had worked for practically no money, in exchange for free room and board for the summer, and the students were working for extra credit.  
  
All in all, not a bad deal.  
  
During vacation, the entire house had been stripped to the framework and studs, and the walls had been rebuilt and repainted. In fact, just today, they had laid down the tile for the kitchen floor.  
  
Her very own kitchen. With the mosaic countertops, gas stove, fridge, and one of those kitchen sinks with the infrared motion-activated faucet (which was uber-cool and totally free to boot!). Still, the patio and porch was practically in shambles, and who had decided to rebuild it, other than Touya? The ice master had gotten himself in his own private war with the porch ever since he had taken his first step onto it and the wood had shattered right under him, dropping him underneath and right in the middle of an Enfield's den. The hodgepodge mix of animals - a mixture of greyhound, eagle, lion, fox, and wolf - had let loose a howl that blasted him right through the rotted wood that closed off under the porch, and ran off, the three puppies following closely.  
  
Even now he was still working, leaving his companions to celebrate while he slaved away out front. Yukimi had watched with amusement as he totally demolished the porch, a bit nervous that the normally calm man was enjoying the destruction, but, then again, everyone needed to vent out frustration some way; at least he got the job done.  
  
As she gulped down the sweet lemonade, her hand was bumped by a rather attention-hungry cat. Reon rubbed his head against her hand, and Yukimi smiled and scratched the gray cat behind the ears. Since winter, the kitten had been growing like a weed, and was no longer the tiny, cuddly, fur ball he once was; now, he was rather large, definitely larger than even a full- grown cat, and his gray fur had formed some darker-gray streaks in it. The months spent at the house had allowed him to become a proficient hunter, and it was often that Yukimi found one of his "presents" beside her pillow when she woke up.  
  
"Hey, fuzzy. What's up?" Reon meowed and rubbed her hand with his cheek, placing his front paws on her arm and almost dug his claws in as he purred loudly. Yukimi chuckled a picked the cat up, watching as he curled in her arms, eyes half-closed, and purring like a motor; his quiet demeanor suddenly changed to one alertness and his arched his back, his haunches wiggling in anticipation before springing over Yukimi's shoulder and pinning down a harmless beetle, then let the insect go as he saw a far better target. As the cat dashed across the yard, his owner laughed and, among a chorus of complaints, stated that break time was over. Chuu sighed, took a swig from the sake bottle that was almost always at his side when he worked, and ruffled his employer's hair as he got up, ignoring Yukimi's surprised shriek as she went to fix her ponytail, and grinned. "Right-o, Sheila." He was about to leap up onto the ladder to get back to fixing the roof when he stopped and looked back. " 'Ey, Yukimi, better go run down to the academy. Isn't today one of your check-up days for that damn egg?"  
  
"Oh, thanks! Uh, can you tell Touya where I went in case he asks?"  
  
"But he's only out front..."  
  
The dragon-scholar looked at her watch and ran into the house, yelling behind her, "Just do it, dammit!" The Aussie looked simply stunned for a second, then broke into a wide grin. "Aye, Aye, Cap'n!"  
  
The grass swayed in the gentle breeze that flowed across the field; it was a light green, and already neck-high despite the fact it was early spring. Jin smiled good naturedly, floating above his classmates' heads and scanning his eyes across the seemingly endless field. Yusuke looked up at the wind master, a smirk on his face. "Is it just me, or is this "re- enactment" a bit..."  
  
"Not here?" Jin finished his roommates' sentence, and touched down on the dry ground. The spirit detective nodded, and called over to Rogerik, who almost had a spasm; the thief hadn't had much time to relax, as Lark had made it her mission to get back at him for vacation, and hadn't given up yet. "Hey, did you manage to hear anything when you came in late?"  
  
"Nah. Suzuka just kind of disappeared."  
  
No sooner had the psychic spoke, than the grass along the edge of the field, closest to the class, rustled and moved violently; a few of the more tense students took a defensive posture, muscles taught as coiled steel, reiki and youki quietly simmering, ready to explode at any second in a violent attack. The air seemed heavy, weighted, and everything was silent until, with a last rustle, the grass parted and the inventor stepped through.  
  
He was wearing a worn leather brown leather jacket and worn jeans, with no- shine tan boots, and a pair of polarized sunglasses (no doubt from some designer line - they looked rather expensive). A camouflage bag hung from his shoulder, and he held what resembled - but no, it couldn't be, not on school property - a paintball gun.  
  
"Welcome to the reenactment. In case you're wondering just where the reenactment volunteers are, well, welcome to the game." While aggression had turned to surprise and confusion, the teacher smirked, and whistled sharply; the whistle was actually some sort of signal, because no sooner had the shrill note faded from the air, than a pair of strange, horned, gazelle-like animals daintily picked their way from the field and into the clearing. Their legs were long and thin, and the body was just as lean, with a long snaky neck and a sharply defined face that ended in a delicate muzzle; the horns were small and slender, and, on one of the animals, pronged. A set of packs were strapped to their backs, the black contrasting immensely with the gazelle-like creatures' golden hued coats.  
  
Suzuka unbuckled the larger packs from the gazelles, and, their duty done, watched as they bounded off into the grass. With his voluntary servants gone, he unzipped the packs and tossed out smaller bags to his students; these bags, which proved to be very much identical to the one Suzuka was wearing, contained one handed, pistol-styled paintball gun, and multiple packs of extra ammunition. While his students stared in plain awe at their new "school" supplies, he pulled out a handful of bandannas from the pack at his side. Tossing them out at random, it only took the teens a few seconds to figure out why they came in different colors.  
  
"Get set, and when everyone's ready, I'll give the two teams three minutes to their respective bases and figure out a plan of defense from the maps and other supplies you'll find there." In seconds, everyone had tied their bandanna around their arm and had grouped up with their own respective teams. The inventor smiled, this time one of genuine glee, and adjusted his sunglasses. "Alright, you all set? Go!"  
  
And so it began.  
  
His brethren sang outside, nearly taunting him as they hopped from branch to branch, telling all the marvelous tales about the outside world, the forests and fields, the crowded city of humans and demons, the beach and the sparkling ocean. It had been so long since he had flown about in the trees, without a care in the world, singing his own heart out, smiling as the lowly earth-walking creatures below gaped in awe at his bright plumage, his incredible voice...  
  
Weren't memories sweet? But, sadly, that's all they were; although he did not regret his life now, there was so much more he could have done back then...  
  
As the little lovebird crunched thoughtfully on one of his multi-colored food pellets, his beady little gaze wandered over to the tank that took up a corner of Lyra's - and his - room, and cocked his head at it. The mermaid's purse, which he understood to contain some rare beast, was still faintly lighting the room, brightly illuminating the walls even though it was nearly two in the afternoon. All this time it had laid dormant, drawing energy from those around it, innocently floating and bobbing in a twenty- gallon tank of water.  
  
Salvatore swallowed his third pellet, then jumped down from the food dish; he leapt up onto his water bowl and lowered his beak into the cool water, taking gulp after gulp so as to wash away the sugary-fruit aftertaste of his food, then lowered his head down and shook water over his neck and chest. He gave a happy chirrup in satisfaction, then turned again towards the egg.  
  
There was a crack.  
  
It was tiny, almost impossible to see, but right by one of the curled tendrils was a tiny line. With a slightly stronger pulse of light, another appeared, branching off from the first one, and the light grew stronger. Salvatore stared openly, remembering when he had first made it to the world through means of an egg, and almost fell forwards into his water bowl. Mustering any possible ounce of parental instinct he had, the small parrot kept a steady eye on the tank, the target was, of course, the beginning of the child's emergence.  
  
And what a strange child it would be.  
  
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KKC: Yes, it's short... but I couldn't think of a better time to end this chapter. Will be concluded next time. Okay, on a new subject, I'm finally going to get this done! I know I've been planning to do this since sometime at the beginning of April Vacation (sorry, Pegacorn) , but "stuff" got in the way. ("stuff" being lack of imagination, writing ability, or energy) However, without further ado, it's cues drumroll "Wheel Of Torture!"  
  
Grimoire: ...Do I dare ask what the suggestion was?  
  
KKC: Only if you ask who the victim is first. Grins mischievously  
  
Grim: o.o Face blanches I'm the victim, aren't I?  
  
KKC: Very, very tempting... sighs but sadly, no.  
  
Grim:   
  
KKC: Not until I revert back to pulling names out of a hat.  
  
Grim: -.- Cruel... very cruel.  
  
KKC: Well, to tell the truth, today's victim is the most vain and high- tempered of us all... Shishiwakamaru! Pulls cord hanging from ceiling  
  
Shishiwakamaru is dumped onto floor from trapdoor in ceiling, and scurries out of the way as a fangirl demoness jumps down after him. The security system in the room recognizes her as a threat and blasts its laser cannon at her, burning her to a crisp.  
  
Shishi: hiding under figurative table Are they gone yet? Please tell me they're gone...  
  
Grim: Yes, she's now micro-molecules of ash and dust at the moment. You can come out from under the table if you want.  
  
Shishi: comes out from under figurative table finally... I can get a break.  
  
KKC: sneaks up behind Shishi, and before the samurai can resist, ties his hands and ankles together. Not quite, man. It's time for a fan request.  
  
Shishi: Y-you're kidding me. No way! I want to go h- becomes silent as Grim and KKC get evil gleam in eye and pull out the duct tape, rope, demon wards, and chains. ...crap.  
  
Ten minutes later...  
  
KKC and Shishi are in one of those little mall petshops; the kitsune is in a "Pet express" uniform (the logo shirt and a pair of jeans), with her ears, claws, and tail hidden, while the samurai is in his bird/gremlin form.  
  
KKC: Sitting at cashier, looking at Shishi's cage Hey, it isn't that bad.  
  
Shishi: deathglare  
  
KKC: ignoring him I mean, yeah, its totally degrading and all, but at least no one's tried to buy you yet... which makes this a pretty boring WoT segment... brightens up But at least I get paid.   
  
A little kid comes in  
  
Kid: Looks at all the animals, then wanders over to Shishi's cage. stands there for a second, in a glaring match with Shishi, before looking at KKC. Hey, lady?  
  
KKC: Hm?  
  
Kid: What kind of bird is this? Points at Shishi, who tries to bite his finger off It's really ugly.  
  
Shishi: seems to go into cardiac arrest after hearing those three words, and lies on the floor of the cage, leg twitching  
  
KKC: ;; Um... to tell the truth, I don't know. He is kinda homely, though...  
  
Kid: Oh... looks down at Shishi I think he died.  
  
KKC: o.o ...crap. fakes a smile, and shoos kid away from cage No, he isn't dead, he's just one of those fainting parrots! They're really rare! I'm sure he's just playing. looks over at twitching Shishi Right?!  
  
Kid: Really? Cool, I want one!  
  
KKC: I don't think so, kiddo. This one is our store mascot... so he's a bit too old to buy. shows kid out of the store  
  
Shishi: Hears KKC, and starts gargling, as well as choking up a bit of blood  
  
KKC: OO Shiiiiiit... scrambles over to Shishi's cage Speak to me, man! Speak to me!  
  
Shishi: faintly You... you...  
  
KKC: Yeah?  
  
Shishi: stands up and grabs KKC's hair YOU ARE SO GODDAMN DEAD WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE! JUST YOU WAIT, YOU LOUSY LITTLE- suddenly notices everyone in shop looking at him What're you looking at, you miserable wretches? Get out of my sight! most of them start to leave Go!  
  
Within seconds, the store is empty  
  
KKC: That was a tad... too much...  
  
Shishi: Whatever... I'll finish you off later. Climbs back on perch and starts muttering curses under his breath  
  
KKC: looks out window Oh, more people.  
  
door chimes as it opens, and a foreign-looking man steps in  
  
Man: looks around different bird cages, then comes up to KKC Miss, do you sell any larger birds?  
  
KKC: Uh... well, we have cockatiels...  
  
Man: No, no, bigger than that, but not expensive. looks around, then sees Shishi Ah! This one, how much for him?  
  
KKC: Uh, him? Um... looks at the demon ward that is disguised as a price tag About three-fifty.  
  
Man: I'd like to take him.  
  
transaction is made, and Shishi is forcefully stuffed in cardboard box with air holes.  
  
Man: walks out with box Thank you! talks down to Shishi You will make a lovely anniversary dinner for Najiica...  
  
KKC: O.O ...holy... Er, Wait, sir! Come back! runs out after guy Those types of bird aren't good for eating, they're way too stringy and greasy!  
  
Shishi: suddenly starts having spasms and begins writhing from KKC's words the...pain...  
  
Grim: Hm... we'll get back to this later... until then, review and an update will be up soon! 


	37. As the shell splits

Disclaimer: The apocalypse will occur before I ever manage to own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Quote of the Week: "You have less common sense then God gives a retarded clam." -Mr.V (I miss school...)  
  
KKC: Well, to all those who were wondering whatever happened to our favorite samurai, he's... well, he's alive for starters... ::looks over at Shishiwakamaru:: uh... yep, he's alive...  
  
Shishi: ::sitting over by flower garden, with an all-too-honest look on his face, his pink eyes sparkling brightly:: Oh, how fortunate am I, to witness such a show of beauty, where I am naught but a lowly being whom does not deserve to see this day... :: ...and so he continues... ::  
  
Touya: ::sighs and shakes head:: How many times have I told you not to toy with the emotional stability of others?  
  
KKC: Oh, go back to fighting your porch. -.-  
  
Touya: ::grumbles, but leaves::  
  
KKC: On to the chapter!  
  
Note: Is it just me, or has FF.net been screwing up the spacing lately? I checked last chapter, and where I had started a new section (where I skip about 3 lines to signify it), there was only one space. Sorry if anyone got confused about that, or when the asterisks were cut out for some reason. Until I find out about that asterisk problem, I'm using a different symbol.  
  
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Peace... it was all he asked for at this time of the day. He was up in a tree, as usual, comfortably splayed out in its ancient branches, the shade providing the prefect temperature for a noonday nap. Of course, only a few months ago Hiei would have chided himself for letting his guard down, but now was one of those few times where the world was at rest and everything slowed down to a crawl - even him.  
  
A bird hopped from twig to twig above him, chirping and singing, then suddenly stopped for a second; at that time the Jaganshi felt something warm and liquid land on his face. Brushing it off with his wrapped right arm, he gritted his teeth and focused his power upon the little chickadee above him. There was one last squawk from the tiny bird, and then feathers fluttered down around him, charred black.  
  
Bye bye, birdie.  
  
"Shorty? What are you doing out here?" The fire demon sighed, then sat up to identify just who had dared interfere in his nap. It was Kuwabara, much to his displeasure, and the demon saw a familiar grinning skull just a few feet behind the orange-haired teen. "Well, if it isn't Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum," he drawled, too lazy to get up and mouth off to Kuwabara properly. "If you don't have anything better to do than stare at me like the complete idiot you are, why don't you go find Kurama for me and tell him I'll be a bit late coming back." The three-eyed demon smirked in satisfaction as Kuwabara tried to find a good comeback, and disappeared from view.  
  
  
  
Green eyes stared up at the seemingly harmless object that bobbed in the water, whickers twitched, and a black tail slowly waved in the air. Kyuro cocked a head at the egg, and turned back to the little bird that was perched on a food dish that was well above his reach. "Are you sure that it's starting to hatch?" The kitten-like familiar cringed at Salvatore's shrill explanation that, yes, he was sure, and the cat had better get his head out of his rear and look closer.  
  
Well, the above was a rough translation, since what the little lovebird had actually said was much, much, more degrading and descriptive.  
  
"Fine, featherbrains! Just shut up so I can get this done with." Kyuro sniffed at the parrot, and jumped up on Lyra's bed, then leaned forwards, his nose nearly touching the glass. His eyes widened, the pupils becoming mere slits in the bright sunlight, and there was a white gleam as his mouth opened in astonishment, showing off his particularly sharp fangs. "Whoa, Feathers... I can't believe it. The egg, there's... there's..." Salvatore fluffed his feathers, and appeared to be smiling in satisfaction (if that was even possible, considering he had a beak).  
  
"There's nothing wrong with it." The cat replied flatly, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth, his black snake of a tail whipping back and forth testily. This, of course, brought on a barrage of furious shrieking from Salvatore, the little bird seeming to shrink as the green feathers flattened to his body, and Kyuro cringed before burying his head in a pillow to dull the painful noise. "Alright, alright, you win. I did see a crack - one." He waited until the lovebird quieted down, then unsheathed one claw from his raised paw to emphasize his point. "It's too small to really tell, though. For all we know, it cracked open when it bumped against the glass." Insert more enraged shrieking here. "All in all, it's not big enough of a deal to wake me up from my nap to come check it out - unless you're willing to pay for a visit." Kyuro hopped down from the bad, and looked up at the parrot hungrily; the bird narrowed his black eyes and fluffed up again, then began to growl. "Or... maybe I'll just take a rain check. See ya." Tail held low, the cat trotted down the stairs and out the open door.  
  
  
  
"Oh, uh, Laird?" Kuwabara stepped into the clearing, cautious so as not to trip any traps or wards; the teacher had a strange sense of humor, if you could call leaving a student alone in the middle of the woods, then forming a betting pool on how long it would take for the student to escape, humor.  
  
Right now, however, the Laird was hard at work at the small wooden workbench outside his tiny, two-room cabin. The teen quietly came up to the teacher's side, his skeleton dog at his heels, and looked at what Laird Michealangelo was doing. "Making mud pies, sir?" Kuwabara joked, with a goofy smile on his face; his teacher continued to work, molding the clay with his hands, and didn't even look up. Sensing that maybe the Laird wasn't in the mood for jokes, Kuwabara stepped back quickly. Michealangelo sighed and turned in his seat, looking at Kuwabara through the black hair that hung over his eyes.  
  
"It's a golem," he finally said, breaking the silence and pointing to the little sculpture behind him. "In case you don't know, a golem is a being made out of non-living material or decaying flesh, and is animated with spirit energy donated from the creator."  
  
"Cool... but why make one?"  
  
"I'm bored."  
  
With that said, he went back to sculpting the clay; from the shapeless body came a neck, long and thin, with a sharp, ending in a perfectly sphere head; extra lumps of clay formed thin ribbon-like structures that connected the twisting, curving body to the head; spiraled cords were melded onto the virtually smooth surface, and arched out from the creature's supposed back in looping, lattice-work wings that had no real end or beginning from where they attached - like a celtic knot. Sadly, however, Kuwabara was not awake to watch the entire creation of it. As he looked at the delicate, fragile creature his teacher had spared hours to create, his opinion was a simple: "It's nice... but what the heck is it?"  
  
And, of course, his good-humored teacher gave a good-humored rebuke; within seconds, the tantei was wiping clay from his eyes. "That isn't the point. I want a five-page essay on the construction and uses of golems, in size twelve font, typed, double-spaced, and in my mailbox by Thursday."  
  
"Yes sir." Kuwabara sighed, and wrote the assignment down on his palm, squinting through the growing shadows as the daylight became dim. "Now get going; I still need to get this thing in the kiln. Bones," the skeleton dog lifted his head, the firefly eyes bursting to life, and wildly wagged his whip-like tail at mention of his name. "Make sure he gets home safely." Bones nodded n reply, and clambered to his feet, happily taking his place at Kuwabara's side. "Hey, I can take care of myself! I wouldn't be here if I couldn't."  
  
"I'm sure you can. Just leave before Rachel has a heart attack because you're out so late; it's almost four-thirty." The teen was about to complain, but the thought of a seriously upset Rachel was enough to make him (or anyone else, for that matter) think twice. "Er... right, I'll see you later."  
  
With a rustle of undergrowth, they were gone. Laird Michealangelo smiled in satisfaction of having the woods to himself, and carefully picked up his yet-to-be-born golem, then went out back to the large outdoor kiln/oven that dominated the five-by-six patch of grass and weeds.  
  
  
  
"Tha's enough bruises fer a lifetime..." Jin grumbled, rubbing his sore arm. The paintballs, which seemed totally harmless at first, had stung horribly on contact. To be blunt, the demon was a mess, with orange paint spattered in his bright red hair, and contrasting with his bluish-purple bruises; he was still wearing the same hooded sweatshirt and jeans as earlier that day, and was sprawled out on the couch. Yusuke, just as much of a mess, was leaning up against Kurama's armchair (or so it had been dubbed), too tired to get up off the floor. "I'm too tired to even go take a shower..."  
  
"...much less change clothes..."  
  
"...Or get up..."  
  
"But..." the two boys shared a wicked grin, and said in unison, "that means we get to skip out on chores!" As they feebly tried to high-five each other, despite the foot-and-a-half of airspace between them, a familiar voice cut in. "Well, you could always try my physick; that'll give you plenty of energy."  
  
Jin almost turned green at the thought, and fell off the couch in a pitiful attempt to escape, too exhausted to even create a wind cushion; Erika stood behind them, the innocent-looking jar in hand, and a smile on her wrinkled face. Yusuke, face pale, struggled to get up, and, miraculously, succeeded. "Actually, I think we'll be just fine, really. In fact, I might just go and... um... do some extra homework..."  
  
"Yeah, m-me too..." The wind master pulled himself up using the couch armrest, and stumbled to the basement staircase. "Better finish that math paper... heh-heh..."  
  
"Okay then, boys. Just let me know if you don't feel well." The elderly woman continued to wear her blissfully happy expression as Yusuke and Jin staggered off to their respective rooms, and continued to stand there after they had disappeared from view. Kyuro, curled up on the kitchen island and hungrily watching the can opener work its magic, looked up and allowed an evil smirk to grace his normally adorable features.  
  
"Erica, my dear," he commented, " You are good."  
  
  
  
"Well, that's that... nothing new, nothing wrong, and I need to get home before Chuu rips another hole in the roof." Yukimi finished writing down the new data in the small spiral-bound notebook that she'd been recording in ever since Christmas, and collected her things. Lyra, her homework shoved aside to a corner of her bed for the moment, got up and looked closely at the mermaid's purse floating in the tank. "You think it might've hatched by now."  
  
"Hey, give it time. I mean, it's only been, what, five, almost six, months?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose... but from what Cecilia had said, she's had that egg for well over a couple of centuries." Lyra leaned back, and gave a warning look to Salvatore, who was shrieking up a storm about something. Yukimi raised an eyebrow, and looked at her notebook again. "It has been developing since we brought it here, and that is a good sign, but I'm a little worried about the data from February and April vacations; it barely even grew, not until everyone was back."  
  
"Do you think maybe it feeds on energy, or uses it to speed up the incubation?" the water manipulator leaned back on her bed, legs curled up and her black hair spilling across the comforter as she pulled out the elastic that kept it tied in its traditional braid. The dragon specialist looked over at Lyra, and slowly nodded. "We-ell... it could... but how did you find out about it?"  
  
"Textbook," was the quick answer.  
  
"You were studying?"  
  
"Slacking."  
  
"That's new."  
  
"Hey, I need to take a break, too." Lyra started to pull apart the braided strands of hair, wincing every so often as her fingers got caught on a knot, and waited for Yukimi's answer. "I suppose so. Look, I really need to go, but I'll be back on Friday. You know the drill - call me if anything happens, and if I'm gone, either leave a message or get in touch with your mythical creatures teacher. Erm, what was her name..?"  
  
"Ms. Hisagawa."  
  
"Right." Yukimi stood up, swinging her backpack up onto her shoulder, and started down the stairs out of Lyra's room, past Salvatore's cage. The parrot was still screeching, as if determined to break the eardrums of everyone in the room, and Yukimi pointed to him. "Oh, and when you have the time, try and find out what's bugging him - it could be important."  
  
"'Kay, I'll see you later." The young woman waved as she disappeared down the staircase, and Lyra kneeled over by Salvatore's cage, her long black hair framing her face. "What is up with you, handsome? Hm?" The lovebird hopped down from his perch and ran over to his owner's face, and started to sing a quiet melody; well, at least he tried to sing, but when heard by human ears, his beautiful voice was nothing but squawks and screeches - it was a pity really. But, if just for a moment, Lyra had listened hard enough, without the curse of non-animal hearing, she would have heard a child's lullaby.  
  
  
  
"Hey, dinner! Come on, get down here!" Rachel rapped a wooden spoon against the lid of one of the dirty pots that were piled in the sink. There was no answer from any of the teens, and the agitated teacher lifted the lid of a serving tray, letting the aroma of roasted pork and apple stuffing waft up towards the multiple bedrooms.  
  
As the basement door, and the one to the boys' bedroom, creaked open, Rachel couldn't help but let her lips curve into a smile. "Just like a cat and the sound of an electric can opener."  
  
"Hey!" Kyuro mewled, getting to his paws and stretching his back, a motion that lifted him up on the very tips of his toes and made every vertebrae in his spine give an audible crack. With a wide yawn, he shook his head to clear out the lull that sleep brought and twitched his whiskers, his green eyes windows to an emotion that was a mix of wry humor and false hurt. "I think you owe someone an apology." The familiar sniffed in Rachel's direction, and immediately started to groom himself - a process that could take hours if done correctly. "I'll be sure to give that apology if I find someone worthy of it." The familiar hissed in reply, and jumped down from the kitchen table, making sure to send the napkins of two of the table places flying; with a reproachful stare, Kyuro skulked over to the couch and made himself comfortable on the cushy pillows and armrest.  
  
It wasn't long before everyone - minus Hiei, as the elusive demon hadn't thought dinner was worth coming home for - was crowded around the dining room table, pausing for Rachel to recite a quick prayer in the name of the Goddess before digging in.  
  
  
  
Nothing was an obstacle for him, as his body melded into the shadows, allowing them to guide him up the wall and onto the third-floor balcony with no effort whatsoever. Soundlessly, he reemerged from the shadows of the tree, springing from the floor of the balcony in a flash of purple fire; cocking his head to track down the inhabitants' auras, his sightless eyes rolling back in their sockets, his wolf-like body trembling in anticipation. He had been called, rather hastily, to his displeasure, from the lower astral realm from which he roamed freely, given enough power to take on a physical form, and ordered to come to this dwelling. The creature who had summoned him, a human by the particular energy signal that it gave off (his summoner had taken extreme measures to remain anonymous, even going so far as to erect an aura shield so powerful, even he could not hope to breach its walls of black energy), apparently wanted something in this house destroyed.  
  
Well, that would work out fine; he had always liked to cause destruction and mayhem.  
  
He raised a horribly clawed, misshapen paw to the doors, grinning in satisfaction as the glass pane melted under his claws, and stuck an arm in through the hole, turning the handle open. As soon as the door swung inwards, an enraged barrage of screeches and the sound of something banging against metal bars; his ears lowered in an effort to block out the noise, he slowly slunk over to the glowing tank and gazed lovingly at the floating mermaid's purse. It was beautiful, pulsing with sheer energy, and it held infinite possibilities as how to harness that power; what a pity that it needed to be destroyed.  
  
Raising a paw to the glass, his dark eyes glazed over in greed; he might be in control of his direct actions, but, with a brief touch of the little silver loop that was pierced through one of his shaggy ears, he reminded himself that even thinking about completely denying orders would cause his master, the one who summoned him, to turn him into a wisp of cosmic material; nothing more than microscopic dust and gas as his body imploded.  
  
But surely his master wouldn't mind if he decided to bring it back to the secluded garden, if only to test the potential of this living storage vessel?  
  
A small crack resounded through the room, lighting every dark corner for no more than a millisecond as electricity arced through his body. With a simpering moan, the creature fell to the floor; smoke wafting through the air with the scent of burning fur and electrical energy. The weakness swiftly vanished, and he was back on his paws in an instant, rearing up on his hind legs as he fished around in the tank, trying to unwrap the cords that had knotted themselves around a rock that jutted out of the tank floor.  
  
A tiny pinprick of pain sunk into his furry skull, than another, and another, until it was a constant drizzle of never lasting hurt; a bizarrely low-pitched growl came from the little bird that was trapped in the cage behind him, and he swished his tail in annoyance. The pest wouldn't stop, and seemed to be doing everything in its power to distract it from uncurling the tendrils that were holding resolutely onto their stone perch. With a short bark, he snapped his jaws at the bird, and yelped as the action had set him off-balance; with his paws still wrapped around the glass tank, he fell to the floor, landing amidst shards of glass and seawater as the tank shattered under him with an insanely loud crash.  
  
Down below, about to reach out for the doorknob, a cloaked figure heard the panicked yelps and the tiny sounds of broken glass being moved; with his hand hovering centimeters from the brass knob, he looked lingeringly up at the third floor, where there was undoubtedly trouble brewing, and sighed before disappearing in a fraction of a second, too fast for the eye to follow.  
  
  
  
"What the hell?" Yusuke tilted his head back, listening to the mysterious crashing and shattering noises from upstairs for a second, then, his brown eyes wide, dashed from the table. "My PS2!" The rest of the table stared after him for a moment, then looked at each other, and got up from the table at the same time; Holly grabbed her broom, snatching it from below Kyuro's head as she jumped on it and zoomed upstairs, kicking off the landing wall to make the sharp corner, and Jin followed, his with most of everyone else at his heels. When nothing was damaged on the second floor, it was Kurama who first grasped the urgency of the situation.  
  
Running to Lyra's bedroom door, he flung it open and stormed up the stairs, preparing himself for the worst, with Lyra following. Still struggling to disengage the egg from the rock that was glued to the fish tank's floor, was a wolfish-looking creature, only much lankier, with almost hand-like paws and numerous cuts and gashes along its belly. "I thought as much..." the wolf creature looked up at Kurama through nearly black eyes, and let a fierce growl escape from its muzzle. Putting an arm out, the fox cut off Lyra, who had just come up and noticed the wild creature was currently trying to make ribbons out of her room, and she built up a tiny sphere of condensed water - not that it could really do much damage, but perhaps she was hoping she could frighten it off.  
  
Kurama had barely gotten a seed out from his red hair when the balcony door burst open, wreathed in black and purple flames, and Hiei stepped through, his black cloak whipping around in the wind that the fire had ushered. The wolf looked at both the swordsman and fox, then frantically tried to leap out onto the balcony, one of his paws still entangled in the egg's tendrils and his tail blazing with fire; it had judged its jump a bit inaccurately, as its head was bashed against the balcony railing and it spiraled, end over end, through the tree branches and towards the ground. With a single silent look from Kurama, the Jaganshi gave a slight sneer and vanished, reappearing on the ground with the egg in his grasp and the wolf lain on the soft ground, blood trickling from a wound on its temple.  
  
"Now, what have we here..?" Hiei gave the seemingly lifeless corpse an unemotional kick in the ribs, and looked up to where his roommates watched from the balcony, Lyra leaning a little over the railing. "Hiei, don't hurt it," the water manipulator called down, frantically trying to come up with an excuse to persuade him to listen to her. To her surprise, Kurama nodded in agreement, then added his own opinion.  
  
"Yes, it might know how to return to whoever might have dispatched it."  
  
"It's a dog; nothing more."  
  
"Just don't set it on fire! Oh, and while you're at it, you might want to put out it's tail..." Hiei glared at the appendage that Lyra had mentioned, and promptly stepped on it, smothering the fire under his boot. "Happy now?" the fire demon ground the heel of his boot into the smoldering tail, and Lyra sighed. "No, not really, but I guess it'll have to do..."  
  
Hiei grunted his usual "hn" and leapt up into the tree next to the balcony, the egg in hand, as Holly and Lark climbed into the room, the latter almost tripping on the last step and slicing her hand open, and joined the elder sister and Kurama out on the balcony, which now had spatters of blood on the railing and floor, and spurts of dying flame near the doorway (or where the door had been... it had since burnt down to nothing but ashes, and the black fire had gone with it).  
  
"Wow... what happened here? It looks like our favorite little pyro was enjoying himself..." Lark brushed her hair out of her face, sending a smug little smile at the fire demon, who was comfortably settled in the tree. His blood red eyes meeting Lark and Holly's own, he quietly and matter-of- factly replied, "I just got here, so I'm not the one to blame." Lark and Holly just shared a glance at each other, one almost sent them into amused sniggers, and the demon "hn"-ed again, turning away from the chatting roommates; with an annoyed glare, Hiei started to try and disentangle his fingers from the egg's four tendrils, which had latched onto his digits stubbornly.  
  
He finally managed to unwrap three of them, which let most of his fingers get oxygen, but just as he started on the fourth, the three loose ends once again fought for a handhold; within a matter of a few seconds, he was back where he had started, only now both his hands were tied up. Muttering a few curse words to himself, Hiei tried to unwrap the egg again, but failed miserably... come to think of it, the last time he had seen the egg, it hadn't tried to latch onto anyone and had been quite still.  
  
"Holy... hey, that dog's alive! It's moving!" Lark had joined her sister near the balcony, and was now charging up a sphere of water while she pointed with her free hand. The wolf-creature that had broken in Lyra's room was now stumbling to it's feet, its tail tucked between its legs and its grizzled head lowered. It stepped forwards, painfully picking its way across the yard, and took off at a run towards the house, the muscles in its legs tightening like a coiled spring. It leapt up at the tree, kicked off of it with its hind feet, and landed lightly on the railing; blood was still dripping from the wounds on its head and belly, and the wolf was panting, giving a small shudder every now and then as the ring in its ear gave off a faint glow.  
  
The seed in Kurama's hand sprouted, the tiny green shoot growing ever higher, much like the fox's adrenaline, and Lark took aim, shooting the water blast point-blank in the wolf's face - the pressure of that one shot comparable to that of a fire hose. The wolf shuddered again and was blasted from the railing into the tree, leaving gouges in the railing; its claws dug in, and the animal clung to the bark of the tree, slowly climbing up onto a branch that could support its weight. That done, it looked around wildly as if it had lost something, and then spied the egg in Hiei's hands. The Jaganshi had drawn his sword with his left hand, his right entangled by the egg, and held it out threateningly; with a whimper, the animal lunged out, snipping away bits of the egg's tendrils with its teeth, and Hiei's hand snatched down to catch the leathery object as it fell from his fingers.  
  
"Catch." Kurama fumbled for a second, then grasped the egg securely in his grasp, with a surprised expression. He was about to get a firmer grip, when a dizzying memory surfaced, from when he was last in possession of the object in his hands.  
  
Fox football...  
  
Green eyes wide, he tossed it immediately to Holly, and she would have dropped it if the egg hadn't wrapped a delicate tendril around her finger; the witch held her hand far from her body as the egg slowly secured itself once more. Hiei grunted in satisfaction, and cautiously stepped between the girls and Kurama, katana at ready, then attacked, the blade leaving a faint red line across the animal's gray cheek as it leapt to a different branch. Gathering strength in its legs, the wolf leapt forwards, front paws latching onto the demon's shoulders, the dangerous claws digging into his skin, and used its back legs to kick out, shredding Hiei's shirt and leaving red gashes on his stomach; the three-eyed demon brought up the hilt of his katana up, blocking the wolf's jaws from his throat, and twisted the blade upwards, spearing into its stomach.  
  
With a faint whine, it rolled off of him, mouth agape, and lay on the ground below, twitching madly. Holly peered over Kurama's arm, as the fox had tried to block the scene from the girl's view, and rushed to the railing, leaning out in an effort to get an idea of the damage that had been done to Hiei. "Oh... god... I-I'll go get some bandages!" She turned back, then paused and looked over at the demon, who was leaning against the trunk of the tree, breathing hard and wiping the blood off his blade with what was left of his ruined shirt. "Do me a favor and hold this for me!" She tossed the egg over, as it had released itself without trouble, as if wanting to latch onto the fire demon once again, and disappeared from view, her voice echoing through the hallway below.  
  
Hiei looked at the egg, his eyes showing genuine speechlessness, and growled softly despite himself. All that work to protect it, and here the damn thing was, trying to cut off circulation to his hand. "Stupid piece of junk..."  
  
"Now, now, Hiei... just don't move while I prepare something to disinfect that wound." Kurama was already busy coaxing another seedling to life, and gave a pacifying smile. With a "hn", Hiei stayed still, glaring at the problem-causing item that had his lower arm in a death-hold, and slid his katana into its sheath; sighing, he leaned back and closed his eyes, ignoring the slight prickling sensation that crawled along his skin.  
  
There was a deafening crack, and everyone jumped, Hiei instantly alighting his free hand with black and purple flames, his hair bristling, but when they looked down at the spot of the fallen perpetrator, there was nothing but a charred mark on the ground. There was no stench, no remains of flesh, just the feeling of incredible static electricity in the air and a tiny silver ring lying on the blackened grass. From his hand, the egg trembled, and as Hiei looked over, trembled again. A short spurt of blinding light came from burst from it, and everyone on the balcony was faintly aware of the door to Lyra's room opening as Holly came back with the bandages, with Yusuke, Jin, Rogerik, and Kuwabara in tow.  
  
Without his meaning to, the jagan on Hiei's forehead burst into light, and the leathery skin of the dragon's egg started to dissolve, illuminating as far as the jagged cliff edge despite the nearly total darkness of the night.  
  
All light faded, and wrapped around Hiei's arm was not a quadruplet of tendrils, but one pure white snake-like tail, light fluffy fur running down its spine, tiny claws pricking at his skin and the delicate body flawlessly soft, with crumpled wings was attached to its back; the head, fine boned and delicate, turned up towards his face, and, framed by long, white lashes, deep pools of blue looked into Hiei's blood red eyes.  
  
The moment was special indeed, but then the little dragonling, curled ever so comfortably on the demon's shoulder, opened its mouth and chirruped. "Maaaa..."  
  
"What?" His eyes narrowed, Hiei moved his arm away from his body, stupefied at the look of absolute love in the hatchlings eyes. "Maaa..!" the sound was sweet and innocent, filled with happiness. Rogerik, grayish-green eyes wide, almost started laughing, but, after Lark stomped hard on his foot, decided it would be better not to - for his own health, of course. Totally ignorant of his own well-being, however, Yusuke laughed out loud, tears nearly at his eyes.  
  
"Hah! That's too much! Hiei... a mother!"  
  
Every stared at Yusuke, then looked over at the Jaganshi, who was seconds away from setting the spirit detective on fire. "Maaa..?" the dragonling, looked over at its adopted mother, then whipped her head around and bared her fangs at Yusuke, letting loose a small spurt of flame that leapt three feet from her lips. Yusuke recoiled away from the fire, and lowered his voice. "Yeah, that's Hiei's kid, alright... adopted or not."  
  
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KKC: smiles widely Aww...now isn't that cute? Hiei's a mommy!  
  
Hiei: -.- ::twitches sword arm:: Shut. Up.  
  
Dragonling: ::looks around from Hiei's shoulder, confused:: Maaaa..?  
  
KKC: Aww, its adorable! ::picks up dragonling and cuddles it:: Can I keep her?  
  
Hiei: No.  
  
KKC: I thought you didn't like babying it?  
  
Hiei: I don't have a choice now, do I?  
  
KKC: ::sighs:: Fine... review folks! Ciao! 


	38. Dragon Doctoring

Disclaimer: Too poor to own Yu Yu Hakusho...  
  
Quote of the Week: "What is it about watching stuff blow up that makes the American heart swell with pride and glee?" - me.  
  
Happy fourth (although it's a bit late), and I hope you guys have been enjoying the three-day weekend. I sure am, 'cause I don't have to ride in my step-dad's work van, on a camping chair that's been strapped to the shelves with bungee cords (without a seatbelt), while hurtling down the highway at 80 mph.  
  
But enough about me, how 'bout you guys?  
  
Replies to Reviewers!  
  
Azuredragoness: Be afraid, be very afraid...  
  
Ryuu no Furui Yami: ... don't forget to breathe, there, Ryuu. Air is good. Air is your friend.  
  
Pegacorn: Oh, yes, it is awkward for poor Hiei-san... but he's taking it well. Aren't you Hiei?  
  
Hiei: Glares and pulls out katana for 18 Jagan slash  
  
...or not...  
  
Ryu-sama: Hiei could be a good dad if he dropped the tough act more often, but I think he got all pissed 'cause Yusuke claimed he had become a surrogate "mother". For the hatchling, it doesn't yet know the difference between mother and father, so to it, Hiei's "Maaa."  
  
And a note here: The DnK series has ended. Sniffle Many thanks to Kia, who created such a widely loved fic; and to those of you who haven't read her stuff, do so, right now, read this chapter some other day if you have to. If you don't at least make an effort to read her work, I shall smite you.  
  
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"Ooooh! What a cutie!" Yukimi squealed, as soon as Hiei opened the door. The Jaganshi scowled at her, his hair standing on end, but the dragon specialist swept right past him and cuddled the little hatchling that was resting on the coffee table. Relaxing a bit, Hiei left the door open behind him, and looked up at Yukimi, his face totally serious. "Take it if you want."  
  
"Maaaa!" The dragonling flew from Yukimi's arms, curling around Hiei's shoulder, its white skin contrasting against the demon's black cloak. The screen door slammed shut as Touya followed Yukimi, a bag slung over his shoulder. "I'd say its alright quite attached to you, Hiei."  
  
"That's right! It's already imprinted you as its mother!" His blood-red gaze was directed at the two of them, utter loathing at the title that had been assigned to him, and his arm twitched, as if ready to slice them down the middle at any second. Sensing his anger, Yukimi backed away, edging behind Touya, who was nearly four inches shorter than her. "N-not that that's a bad thing, Hiei-san... Very few people are able to imprint young dragons so quickly." The ice master nodded in agreement, and peered closer at the hatchling, who was now nuzzling the back of its "mother's" neck. "It does look a bit like Cecilia, actually... well, mostly the same body structure, at least." The dragon stretched her neck out, turning her head to the side as Touya scratched it behind it's fin-like ears; the ice master gently lifted the hatchling from Hiei's shoulder and let it curl up in his arms before depositing the youngster on the coffee table.  
  
Yukimi got right to work. Taking a small penlight from her bag, she peered in each of the dragonling's amazingly deep eyes, down it's throat, and then, putting the penlight down, gently stretched each one of its wings, moving it up and down in the socket. She ran two fingers down the hatchling's spine, checking to make sure it was aligned correctly, then studied the claws and tendons in its feet. Giving the young dragon a soft pat on the head, Yukimi turned towards Hiei, who was standing in the corner pretending to not care whether the hatchling was healthy or not. "Well, everything is okay. Seems like she'll be just as healthy as her mother, despite her crossed bloodlines."  
  
Both Touya and Hiei just stared, then the fire demon finally asked, "Excuse me?"  
  
"What?" With a surprised yelp, the young woman ducked her head as the little dragonling flapped up to Hiei's shoulder, then got out her notebook and a pen with zeal. "Wow! She's flying already, and she hatched less than twenty-four hours ago!"  
  
Hiei, however, didn't even blink as his adopted dragon rested on his shoulder. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Well I know she hatched late last night, after I left... believe me, she's flying."  
  
"No, about the gender!"  
  
"Oh, that." Yukimi continued to take notes, not even bothering to look up, then inclined her head. "Yep, that's a girl; the hips are wider, more slender neck and tail, and she doesn't have any spurs on the back legs or ankle."  
  
"...You're kidding me." He tenderly pushed the dragon's nose away from the nape of his neck, where she was nuzzling him, and stared straight at Yukimi. With a shiver, she looked up and cringed under his steely glare (and she had thought Touya could be cold). "Hey, don't look at me like that. First of all, it's creepy, second, it's... well, it's still creepy! Besides, be happy about it; females are easier to raise - they don't cause nearly as much trouble and pick up on things more quickly." The two males stayed quiet, Hiei absent-mindedly scratching the dragon under her chin, Touya stony-faced; the normally stoic ice master, however, looked at the door behind Yukimi, caught a familiar glimpse of red, and barely had time to duck out of the way before a fuzzy meteor roared past.  
  
"Agh... Touya, you're definitely getting' better at dodgin'," Jin picked himself up from behind the kitchen island, rubbing his sore head and, after setting a few overturned stools back, cleverly blocking the small dent in the wood his horn had made. Touya stood up, warily watching his old companion for signs of a bone-crushing hug, like the one that had been awarded to him every time he dropped by the dorms or when Jin had just decided to "stop for a visit" (which was occurring more and more often as the weather had cleared up considerably). "And you're just as reckless as ever. If I hadn't known better, I'd say you'd been slacking off ever since you came here."  
  
The smile fell from Jin's face, and his ears drooped. "W-well, I haven't... much..." Even his red hair, which gave the impression that he was constantly in some wind tunnel, wilted. "Besides, you should lighten up a bit, yerself."  
  
"I'd love to, Jin, but there hasn't been much time to. Surely you've felt the tension that's built up around campus, between the teachers and staff; something is bound to happen... I don't know if you can handle it, though."  
  
"An' whaddya mean by that, you cold-hearted twit?" The wind master's voice held an unusually angry tone despite his highlands accent, and a small breeze, one that lifted the hair from the demon's sky blue eyes and made the pages of the manga magazine on the coffee table rustle, proved that Touya had indeed struck a nerve.  
  
Both shinobi shared a look, their auras easily felt by not only Yukimi and Hiei, but the dragonling as well, and Jin, his shoulders slumped, went out the front door, letting it slam shut behind him. Touya watched his long- time friend go, his blue eyes unwavering, and turned back to Yukimi and Hiei. "I should get back to the house; that Enfield has come back, and I'm afraid her offspring have come along as well." With a final scratch behind the hatchling's fin-like ears, he bowed his head to the fire demon and human girl, then made his way out the door.  
  
"What just happened?" Holly peered over the staircase railing; Kyuro balanced carefully on her shoulders. "I saw Jin take off, but he looked pretty upset."  
  
Yukimi shrugged, shaking her head in frustration as she hurriedly packed away the penlight and notebook, grumbling as the small scale that was also stuffed inside started to slip out. "In my opinion, it's probably better to stay out of it, Holly. Jin's... well, he just needs time to sort it out on his own. Self-confidence issues and all that."  
  
"I take it him and Touya had a spat?" Kyuro leaped down from Holly's shoulder, sliding down the banister and coming to a graceful landing as he propelled himself from the end. Trotting past their feet, tail high in the air, the black cat hopped up on the couch and made himself comfortable, kneading the fabric between his paws; with a wide yawn, he said, "Something was bound to snap. Don't worry; I did the same thing with my old buddies all the time...so, yeah." The familiar stared off into space, perhaps wandering through old memories, good and bad, and lowered his head on the pillow, his green eyes still unblinking.  
  
With a shake of her head, the witch ran back down the hallway, returning at the top of the stairs with her broom in hand. Straddling it, she kicked off from the stairs, floating downwards and gaining speed; Hiei quietly opened the door and gave Holly a curt nod as the broom zoomed past. Once outside, she climbed up high above the ground and scanned the skies for Jin.  
  
"Well, good luck to her." Yukimi, seeing as the tension in the house had faded with the leave of the shinobi and Holly, went back to her bag and took out the electronic scale. Picking up the dragonling, who reluctantly unlatched her claws from Hiei's shirt, she placed the dragon on it, keeping one hand on her fragile collarbone to keep her from moving. She felt around in her bag for the notebook and brought it out, pulling a spare pen from behind her ear; once she had recorded the dragonling's weight (which was more difficult than it sounded, since the little creature continually played with the buttons on the scale, fascinated by the noises it made) , the hold on her collarbone was released, and with a flap of her white wings, the dragonling was again perched on Hiei's shoulder, now sniffing through his black hair.  
  
"I really have to go now, but I'll check up every other day or-so." The bag was once again neatly packed, and Yukimi made her way to the door. "Oh, and Hiei," The fire demon inclined his head at mention of his name. "Just... well, be gentle with her. She is young, after all."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you later." With a quick wave to the Admarant sisters and Kurama, who were out on Lyra's balcony, Yukimi walked down the drive and out of sight.  
  
  
  
"Hiei, what is that thing on your head?" Chrysanthemum stood up on the tips of her paws, trying to make out the Jaganshi's silhouette through the leaves of an old oak. Hiei gave his traditional "hn" and crossed his arms, ignoring the stares of his companions below and the smell of the food that was on their table. For nearly two days he had to skip classes, which wasn't of much concern to him, to take care of the dragonling; he hadn't even given her a name, choosing to instead call her over with a whistle. Today, however, Rachel had forced him to go and locked the dragonling in his room with water and food for the day; needless to say, she had broken out (by means probably better left to the imagination) and instantly took refuge on her parent's head.  
  
Not exactly the best condition to socialize in.  
  
"Don't bother about him; Hiei's been in a pretty bad mood ever since he became mother-dearest." Ah, yes... the detective... better put a double check beside his name on the "people whom to wreak havoc upon" list. Chrysanthemum placed her lunch tray on the picnic table and sat down, coiling her tail around her waist; her twin brother was there (playing with his food... again.), as was Justin, Lark, Kurama, and Yusuke. The fox smiled up at Hiei, probably trying to make amends for the lack of Yusuke's subtlety, and said, "It's been a trying experience. We couldn't find anything that she would eat for nearly two days."  
  
Yusuke inclined his head in agreement and took a swig of his soda. "Yeah, and then she attacked the garden; turns out that she eats nectar and flowers. Some dragon." Lyonell snickered at this, and his twin tugged on his ear - hard. With a yowl, the cat scooted away from his sister and sulked over his lunch, toying with the macaroni surprise that was heaped upon his plate. "I take it, then, that he's had it rough from you guys?" Justin asked, not at all surprised when Lark and Yusuke nodded.  
  
"Yeah; well, he would have it worse, but he's all scary and stuff." Lark glanced up at Hiei, who was scowling darkly, and ducked her head. "Still, he does make a good parent, sort of." She admitted, and dug her nails into the edge of the table as the fire demon's aura flared. Almost every student in the picnic area looked up at the disturbance, some of them ready to beat down whoever had interrupted them, and the aura simmered with a stern look from Kurama.  
  
"I want to learn how to do that." Lark said, gazing at the fox's work with something between awe and jealousy. Kurama sweatdropped and picked up his tray, standing up as he did so. "Well, if that's your goal in life..."  
  
"Shut up." The younger Admarant sister turned her head from him and pretended to be more interested in a rather large spider that was crawling up the side of the picnic table. Yusuke, however, raised a fist and cheered, "Alright! Kurama did something wrong! Welcome to my world!"  
  
Still quite confused over Lark's sudden mood swing, he backed away and tossed his tray in the trash barrel, then collected his bag from the end of the bench. As he went to leave for class, Lark was suddenly right behind him, mock hurt on her face. "Oh, yeah, leave me all alone with them." She jerked her head towards the guys and Chrysanthemum (who was ready to leave, anyways), then hooked Kurama's arm in hers. "Y'know, I don't get enough love and care around here."  
  
"Uh...um..." There seemed to be no words to explain the current situation, and if Kurama had found any, he doubted Lark would even listen. Giving up with a sigh, he let his head drop. "Go on ahead, Lark."  
  
Wasting not even a second, she ran full speed out of the lunch area, leaving her stunned friends behind and nearly dragging Kurama. The stop was just as sudden, and the fox grabbed hold of a post alongside the pathway to keep from falling. "And... what... was that... for?" He panted. Lark shrugged, breathing just as hard, and smiled. "I just wanted to talk."  
  
"Oh... Is that all?" Kurama let his bag fall off his shoulder and land on the ground with a soft thud, then followed suit. "Now, what's on your mind?"  
  
"Well, you know about finals and stuff?" She gave her roommate just enough time to nod, then continued on. "Y'see, I could use some help in my history and stuff - don't we all - but my sister's been too busy to help me."  
  
"So you want me to help you?"  
  
"Well, no, yes! Ah, crud... how to word this..." She leaned against a tree, twirling a strand of black hair around her finger. "Okay... I do need your help - hey, don't speak yet - but Lyra's been kind of down lately. I'm worried about her."  
  
"So you want me to volunteer to help Lyra, too. That's not a problem-"  
  
"Oh, no, it usually isn't!" Lark waved her hands furiously, forcing the fox to sit back down, and continued. "But we got a letter... from our dad. He says he's run into a bit of trouble and all that - trust me, it happens more often than you think - but Lyra's always really worried about him. It's really thrown her out of the loop this time, though. She found a few spattered drops of blood on the envelope, so of course she's thinking of the worst thing that could possibly happen.  
  
"And all that is killing her chances for getting good grades in her finals. Holly and I tried to help her, but she won't do much else than tell us to worry about our own stuff - which I hate it when she does that, but its not like she can help worrying about us. Kuwabara might've not have told you, but even he tried to cheer her up, and Kyuro's even been less of an ass then he usually is-"  
  
"Yes, I was wondering about that..."  
  
"He's trying to be nice, in his own delusional way. Anywho, you could at least help, right Kurama? Pleeeaaasssee?" Lark latched onto his hand, her expressive eyes nearly tearing up, and the fox nodded. "Uh, I don't mind, really."  
  
"Yes! Kurama, you're such a buddy!" The younger girl wrapped her arms around the fox's waist in a tight hug, and had to be pried off. "Just remember to breathe next time; you were nearly turning red." Lark playfully punched him (which left a very non-playful sting) and jumped to her feet, smoothing down her skirt and hair. "I will, Kurama. But please try to help her as much as possible without shoving it down her throat."  
  
"I take it you've already tried that method?" Kurama chuckled, standing up and retrieving his bag. Lark blushed, then scuffed her sneaker. "No, its not that... okay, yeah, maybe just a smidgen." She held her pointer finger and thumb not much more that a millimeter apart. "But she likes you. Besides, you're the only other person besides her to tame that damn lovebird of hers."  
  
"I take it Salvatore is choosy about Lyra's friends."  
  
"Heck yeah! He's worse than having an over-protective older sibling. He even tried to attack me not too long ago." She held up a hand, the bandaged fingers proof of the little bird's nasty jaw strength, and recoiled it sharply when Kurama tried to get a closer look. "Well, I can make a quick pain-reliever and antibacterial for that. Come to think of it, I better make extra for myself..."  
  
"Thanks, Kurama. Really."  
  
"I told you I don't mind, so go run off to class now." Checking his watch, the redhead grimaced. "Ah, I better hurry up, too; Rachel will have my hide." With a wave, Lark was off, and it didn't take long for her to group up with some other girls in her class.  
  
  
  
"Michealangelo?" Kuwabara pushed a vine out of the way; jerking his head back just as the plant's tiny bud blossomed into an equally small purple flower with poisonous stingers nestled around its stigma. Pinching the vine expertly, the flowering end dropped lifelessly at an awkward angle, and Kuwabara continued down the nearly invisible trail.  
  
It didn't take long for the little two-room cabin to come into view. Smoke curled from the rock chimney, despite the seventy-degree weather, and the workbench in front was completely clean. Kuwabara peeked around the corner to make sure that his professor was nowhere in the back, then knocked on the thick wooden door of the cabin. No one answered, but the door swung opend of its own accord and allowed the Japanese teen into the front room.  
  
The rock fireplace, although it looked small from the outside, took up nearly half of one wall, and, since there was no stove in the room, Kuwabara guessed that it was how Michealangelo did his cooking. Even now, a pot hung over the fire on a pair of brackets, flames licking the bottom and yellowish smog pouring out the top. The fireplace was the neatest part of the room; the couch was brown leather, an ode to the old days when the Laird's home was possibly a hunting cabin, and a lumpy pillow and numerous blankets were piled on it, as well as old jeans, shirts, and a tattered book. In the far corner, a rickety wooden table and pair of chairs stood, dirty dishes were piled up on the table, making the worn and stained tablecloth bunch up, and there was an ever bigger mountain in the stone sink under the window.  
  
Walking through the mess, Kuwabara quietly opened the door in the back and stole a look into the other room, blocking his nose from the smell. The Laird was in the middle of bandaging his hand, the clean bandages soaking in some sort of medicine on a writing desk in front of him, and looked up at his pupil with a look of total expectation. "Took you long enough." He took the new bandages out of the bowl of medicine and, with a light growl as the medicine got in his wound, continued to bind his hand, glaring at the spreading smear of red on the beige fabric. "Damn, that stings like hell... well, what are you staring at? And come out of there; you don't need to hide behind the door." Kuwabara gulped, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him, then asked, "What, uh, happened to your hand?"  
  
Lazily staring his pupil in the eye, Michealangelo sighed, then muttered, "Nothing much; accidentally cut myself while trying to cook dinner last night." Picking up a metal tab, he clasped the fabric together and clenched and unclenched his right hand, one eye twitching a little as the knife wound no doubt hurt like hell. "I better clean those knives before I go... it would just make my day if I got some unknown disease while I'm out there. Oh," He looked up at Kuwabara and pointed a finger. "I'll be going on a trip for a while. Might not make it back before finals." Putting a lid on the jar of medicine, he stowed behind a sliding compartment door, and stood up, pushing the chair back in. "Oikawa, I don't know if you've heard of him, offered to take you for finals and reviews. He teaches most of the stuff I've been teaching you, so you should be fine."  
  
"But-!"  
  
"I think he teaches thievery, too, so ask Rogerik."  
  
"How-?" Again Kuwabara was cut off, as his teacher snapped his fingers and a strange creature swooped in through the window, its delicate wings flared out as it landed on top of the writing desk, stretching out its neck so Michealangelo could scratch it on its sphereical head. "Remember this little guy?" Nodding, Kuwabara faintly recalled it as the golem that the Laird had spent hours sculpting.  
  
"Good. Now, take him home and take care of him until I get back."  
  
"Okay, but where-"  
  
Michealangelo had swept out of the room, and was now stuffing some clothes in a ragged-looking backpack. The book followed (along with three other of its brethren), as did one of the thicker blankets, and a small photo frame was tossed in, almost as a last minute thought, since the teacher had been staring at the spot where it had been hidden (under his pillow) for almost a minute before deciding it was worth taking. The golem fluttered around behind its creator, making soft squeaking noises even though it lacked a mouth. Michealangelo waved it away, and it took refuge behind Kuwabara.  
  
"Well, that's all of it. I'll be leaving tomorrow night, so I doubt you'll see me for a while after this class."  
  
"Uh, yeah... but where are you going?" Kuwabara moved the golem away from his head and leaned against the wall by the fireplace. The Laird paused, staring into the fire until he slowly turned around. "Things around here haven't been going smoothly, and there's been talk about 'letting me go'. I'll tell you one thing, though; its gonna get a lot worse around here before it gets any better."  
  
"But isn't firing you a little too much?" Kuwabara sat down on one of the unsturdy chairs, the golem coming to a rest on the table beside him. The laird waved the question off and shrugged. "I got in an argument with the headmaster; besides, parents might not want their children attending a facility that has a necromancer on staff - especially when that self-same facility is having problems with undead monsters."  
  
A muffled ringing came from somewhere near the couch, and Michealangelo twitched at the sound. With a muttered string of curses, he dug through the pile of clothes on the couch, then, with seemingly no luck, moved onto another pile dumped over the ancient coffee table. Searching in the pockets of a leather jacket, he pulled out a gold pocket watch and, flipping it open, looked at the clock face. "Damn. Period's over already. Hey, Kuwabara?" The teen stopped petting the golem and stood up at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"  
  
"Don't tell anyone I'm leaving, hm? It might cause me a few complications." Kuwabara was barely able to nod in agreement before he was shoved out of the cabin, the golem fluttering above his head and making furious shrieking noises. The thick wooden door was shut, and there was the telltale chorus of locks and bolts being fastened.  
  
There was a quiet that not even the songbirds dared to break, and even the golem quieted down, landing softly on the ground. Kuwabara gently picked it up, careful for the many ribbon-like structures protruding from the main body and wings, and strode down the same path he had come from, with an endless stream of thoughts going through his head. But most of all, what had he meant by things were going to get worse?  
  
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Things are starting to pick up at the academy, and that means that the fic is coming to a close... (thank GOD!)  
  
Next time I write something this long, I'm not taking month-long breaks. -.-  
  
Also, my laptop monitor has been almost totally trashed today (7/8/04), so I might not be able to update as soon as I would normally be able to. It's kinda hard to type with only two-and-a-half inches of usable screen... I'm glad I was even able to save this onto disk.  
  
Review if you wish, and flame if you dream for death. 


	39. Fireflies

Disclaimer: Sure I own Yu Yu Hakusho... just like I have an army of super- intelligent squirrels poised to take over the world as we speak.  
  
Quote of the week: "Everyone driving slower than you is an idiot; everyone driving faster than you is a maniac." -Kevin (A proverb that my sister and I have grown up with.)  
  
KKC: Well, I have good news! Having my laptop monitor trashed hasn't set me back at all.   
  
Suzuka: So you got it fixed then?  
  
KKC: ... ::stares off into space::  
  
Grim: Well?  
  
KKC: ......... no.  
  
Grim/ Suzuka: ::anime face-fall::  
  
KKC: oo Uh... y'know what? I think I'll just do a recap of last chapter... yeah. That's a good idea...  
  
Cecilia's egg has hatched and has promptly imprinted Hiei as its mother. After Yukimi stopped by to do a check-up on the little one, whom is a female, Touya and Jin had a bit of a spat; the ice master highly doubts Jin's abilities, since our favorite red-haired flyboy has been slacking for quite some time now. Jin made a few rude comments himself, then wandered off to go sulk - and hasn't cheered up since ::gasp!:: . Since then, Kuwabara got a warning from his teacher, the enigmatic Laird Michealangelo, and was placed in charge of a very strange creature indeed - a golem. Apparently, things at the academy are going to go downhill, and soon.  
  
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A week had passed already, and still, those words had never stopped swimming around in his head. Things were going to get worse... as if losing any possible leads or meaning to this mission wasn't bad enough, something was going to wreck the entire lifestyle which he had come to know and care deeply about.  
  
With a clatter, the familiar grinning skeleton reassembled himself from a pile of bleached bones under the bed and had jumped up to lay at Kuwabara's side. The teenager smiled in gratitude and patted Bones on the skull, ignoring the fleeting stings on his legs as the dog's whip-like tail wagged furiously. "I should stop worrying about all this, huh buddy?"  
  
The green fire-fly eyes flared once, and Bones dislocated his skull, which went searching among the numerous books and dirty clothes underneath the bad, and finally floated back into place, with a rubber ball clutched in jaws. Kuwabara sweatdropped and sat up, picking up a textbook from the side of his bed. "Uh... I was thinking more along studying for the finals, actually." Sparing his pet a sympathetic look (it was amazing how a simple animated skeleton could show so much emotion - especially when dejected at a game of catch), Kuwabara wrestled the ball from between Bones' sharp teeth and held it up, giving his trademark doofus-smile.  
  
"Alright, one throw."  
  
Bones instantly scrambled onto the floor, falling apart and reconstructing himself all in one smooth motion, and patiently sat at the teenager's feet, his wagging tail and open mouth giving away any second thoughts about just how much he wanted to play. "Go get it, boy!" The red ball bounced out of the open door, ricocheted off the wall, and fell down the staircase, one step at a time, until it came to its eventual location in the living room.  
  
  
  
Yusuke had only a split second to look up before Bones crashed over the table, snapping after a rubber bouncy ball that was slowly coming to a stop at his feet. The spirit detective yelped, jumping (and failing remarkably) to the side in order to dodge the incoming skeleton.  
  
The dog's front legs slammed against the edge of the table, making the dog do a total flip in midair and fall apart in a jumble of bones that pelted Yusuke in the side and face. The ball bounced from Bones' jaws, taking flight once again and landing in Yusuke's glass of water, where it bobbed and floated among a pack of ice cubes. Brown eyes still wide, Yusuke peeked over the table top, and quickly, silently, slipped out his textbooks and notes from underneath the pile of bones that was, well, Bones.  
  
With a drawn-out creak, the basement door inched open, and Rogerik poked his head out.  
  
"What broke this time?"  
  
"It wasn't me! This stupid mutt-" Yusuke pointed at Bones, but stopped short as the dog had once again pieced himself back together and was balefully staring at him with the most watery flickers of light that he could muster. "Ah, never mind..." With a sigh and grumbled string of curses, the spirit detective shuffled his papers into a more-or-less neat stack, piled his books up, and trudged upstairs. He didn't succeed in escaping the dog, however, as Bones, with the ball firmly clenched in his jaws, trotted after him.  
  
  
  
The four or so figures sat on the floor and bed, open books strewn about and a large bowl, empty save for a few leftover popcorn kernels, was sitting in the middle of the group. Lark, her black hair tied up in a bun, sat against the foot of her sister's bed with a large book in her lap. She half-heartedly flipped through the yellowed pages, the text swimming in her vision.  
  
"I hate Realism... I wish Shikyo would have us study Poe, instead." The younger sister whined, not really caring if anyone bothered to listen. Earlier, the conversation had been going just fine, until Lyra and Kurama had finally had a little too much of Lark's teasing. Holly was crouched over the notebook before her, hastily finishing up her essay, grumbling something to herself every now and again as her the ink stopped flowing freely from her pen and she angrily rewrote the few words that had been the victim of her pen's latest death. Kyuro was curled up on the foot of the bed, asleep, his black tail twitching subconsciously and stretching his little paws before twisting into a new sleeping position. Even Salvatore had fallen silent, choosing to sulkily balance on his perch, eyes screwed shut, and pretend to sleep as well.  
  
"I don't think you study Poe until your next year - along with Aristotle - but it's not on the finals, so it makes sense you wouldn't really go over it yet." This was the first time Lyra had spoken since the height of her sister's teasing and jokes, and Lark almost jumped in surprise. "Yeah, well, it wouldn't hurt our grades on the test if we had read some of his stuff."  
  
"Stop whining, then. You have the entire freaking collection of Poe, remember? I got the book for you for your birthday..." the rest of the sentence faded off as Holly gave a faint growl... apparently, her pen had gone to writing utensil heaven, and no amount of scratching and scribbling on the page's margin in her assignment book would make it come back again. "Dammit... Hey, Kurama, can you pass me that bag over there, by the speaker?" The redhead silently tossed it over, then once again dove back into his book, blatantly ignoring the girls. Lark narrowed her stormy eyes at him and stuck out her tongue.  
  
"Jerk. If you're just going to ignore us, then go study on your own, then." With a sigh, Kurama marked his page and closed the book, then started to gather his belongings.  
  
"H-hey! I was kidding! Really!" the water manipulator started to get up and yank the fox back down, but Kurama gave her a soft smile. "Well then, I guess after what you can come closest to as an apology, I just might stay."  
  
"Eh? Now wait, I really am sorry about before - I'm not kidding."  
  
"I know," Kurama replied simply, opening up his book again. "But don't tell me that I'm not allowed to play a few jokes myself." Lark, catching on, playfully shoved him. "You really are a jerk, you know that?"  
  
"Now, children..."  
  
"Stay out of it, witch."  
  
"Don't make me summon my almighty broom of destruction and pain on you."  
  
"Any day!"  
  
"Uh, aren't you girls taking it a little too far?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Nu-uh!"  
  
Listening to the good-natured bickering between her roommates and sister, Lyra smiled and toyed with a tattered sheet of paper, trying to forget the tiny spatters of blood among the scrunched-up, cursive writing. At the very least, she owed them all for trying to cheer her up; perhaps, her father really was fine, and he wasn't lying when he said that everything was going to be okay in the end.  
  
  
  
Fog drifted through the streets of Meucca, never lifting, never thinning. It had rolled in from the sea, and had covered almost the entire city in the span of an hour, blocking out the moonlight and stars, the streetlamps useless and unable to pierce the sheets of gray.  
  
Wrapping his jacket around himself even tighter, a grizzled old man rushed through the cobblestone streets; past the marble fountain that, although it had been the playground of young children earlier that afternoon, was now spewing dark water from the towering statue in the middle of the shallow pool. The fog curled and danced over the water's edge and in his wake as he passed by, the mist parted and dissipated in the elderly man's wake. With a grumble, he checked the digital watch that was tied to his wrist, and stared at the bright green LED numbers; his hand dropped to his side, as he looked around to make sure no one was coming by, then turned down one of the narrow, winding side streets.  
  
The stoops were decorated with planters of flowers, all in a variety of bright and shocking colors for the summer, and a childish chalk drawing ran down the length of the sidewalk, not yet washed away by the mist and dew. A motorcycle was parked along the sidewalk in front of him, and he went around it, not bothering to step onto the sidewalk again as he strode down the middle of the street. In this ghoulish weather, even the partiers and ravers refused to step outside; there was no danger from automobiles or even the stray bicyclist.  
  
Rays of light managed to poke through the solid curtain of fog, shining upon yet another fountain. Cherubs and nymphs danced in the mist, water spouting from the mouths of fish and dolphins; seated upon a bucking hippocampus was a likeliness of the goddess herself, slim hands wound into the steed's watery mane, long hair flowing in the invisible wind, her eyes bright and joyful, and a smile gracing her cold bronze lips. The man took a second to stare at the fountain, and quickly turned away - all he wanted now was to go home, have a steaming mug of tea, and climb into bed with his wife to await another sunlit morning.  
  
There was a sudden flicker of green light over the water, then another, and another. He spared a glance over the water's surface, and shrugged, the fact that it was uncommon to see fireflies at all anymore not registering in his brain.  
  
He just wanted out of this damn fog.  
  
Picking up the pace, the old-timer nearly ran past the fountain, whipped around the corner of a brick building, and abruptly fell back on his rear. "Wha-?" He recovered his wallet and keys, both of which had been tossed askew in the collision, and looked up. The figure was tall and slim, with closely cropped hair that created a pale whitish-blue halo in the faint light; the face was close to androgynous in the fog, and the face was shadowed where the figure's eyes would be. "Uh, erm, I'm very sorry." The man stood up, stuffing his wallet and keys back into his coat pocket, and bowed his head politely to the figure in front of him.  
  
Black fabric rustled, and a pale, almost milky-white, hand came to rest on his shoulder; he was vaguely aware of a gauzy lace brush against his face, and looked up into pale, empty eyes.  
  
A deathly cold seemed to penetrate through the very flesh to his bones, and then some. Fireflies danced across his vision, lighting everything an eerie green even after everything else faded to black.  
  
  
  
"Hey, look at this!" There was a cluster of students around one of the many picnic tables at the academy courtyard, and it seemed that a large sheet of paper was being passed around among them. Curious, Ryo quickly donned a disguise, changing his appearance from an elven-eared young man at about the height of five feet to that of a medium-tall, dark-skinned, young demon, with horns sprouting from his now olive-colored spiky hair, and he wore a pair of torn jeans and a slightly grungy tee-shirt instead of his usual button-down shirt, short over-robe, and dress pants. Catching his reflection in puddle of rainwater, he sighed and ran a clawed hand through his hair. "And to think that these clothes are considered fashionable... kids these days." Shaking his head sadly, the teacher tried his best to merge in with the group.  
  
"Ewww... that sounds so disgusting!" A middle-school aged girl squealed and screwed her eyes shut, shoving the paper to the girl next to her. A similar expression crossed the features of the new bearer of the paper, but she quickly composed herself and passed the paper along. Now that it was closer, Ryo craned his neck a little, shoulder-reading the paper that was in the clawed hands of a short dog demon with scruffy brown hair, and his eyes opened wide.  
  
It was a newspaper article... four pictures were above the article, each one a portrait, or something of the like, of a different person. All four were victims of a city-wide killing spree that had taken place just last night.  
  
"Officials dated the bodies, and it seems that the killings took place at different times... no physical damage, but the bodies showed the strain of soul consumption... no clues or leads as to who the killer is..."  
  
The dog demon rattled on, reading bits and pieces to his schoolmates, but Ryo ignored the rest. Quickly drawing away from the crowd, he walked past a cluster of younger girls, who gave him much more than just a second look and giggled; smitten blushes turned to confused looks as the fairly good- looking demon disappeared and a familiar teacher continued in the same direction. With a great deal of whispering and nervous laughter, the girls made haste away from the flaxen-haired demon. Running to and from classes, older students called out his name, greetings were yelled out, and one senior student gave the elf a friendly slap on the shoulder. Still, none of this registered.  
  
Soul consumption...  
  
It was a fate worse than death, or so he imagined. Even in Reikai, the souls of wrong-doers were never destroyed - locked up and confined, yes, but never completely and utterly annihilated. And then to be eaten... without meaning to, Ryo found himself trembling. Calming his nerves, he found himself standing outside his classroom door, one hand already on the large brass knob. Inside, his fourth-period students chatted away; some of them were discussing the newspaper article and ghoulish event of last night in hushed tones, but they were almost drowned out by the sheer amount of meaningless conversation. Who was dating who, the possibility of Mario beating Bruce Lee in hand-to-hand combat, what someone had named their pet traffic cone (A/N: I'm guilty of that one), and what was going to be on which teacher's final. All of it was perfectly frivolous, and quite stupid indeed, to be talking about when some poor creatures soul had been devoured not much more than twelve hours ago.  
  
He wished he could be one of them, to just leave all of this to the "responsible adults", but remembered with a pang that HE was one of those "responsible adults" - and there was no way that the normal Ryo, one that wasn't trying to protect a bunch of children from the knowledge of a fate worse than death and was instead focusing all his energy towards editing the finals and preparing his students for their last test, wouldn't walk inside with anything less than a carefree smile on his face.  
  
That's right... nothing's wrong. And if it is, it can wait until later...  
  
Steadying himself and somehow forcing himself to smile, the elf turned the knob and stepped inside, cheerily calling out a "Good afternoon!" in an almost sing-song voice.  
  
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KKC: And the plot thickens.   
  
Suzuka: o.o ? You... agh! How could you even bring that up! I-It's despicable!  
  
Grim: Now you've done it...  
  
KKC: What?  
  
Suzuka: Do you have any idea how serious that is?! Huh? ::suddenly seems to grow ten feet tall:: HUH?!? DO YOU?!  
  
KKC: ::cowers:: please don't kill me...  
  
Suzuka: No, I won't kill you! I'll just rip out your very fiber and being, smother it, then stuff it down my goddamn throat so I can absorb it! And that's just the beginning, mind you!  
  
Grim: -.-;; I thought she knew never to bring that up around demons... it's a touchy subject.  
  
KKC: ::cowering under figurative table, and taking the verbal abuse rather well:: Gomen! Gomen! I'm sorry, really!  
  
Suzuka: ::Ready to blow up at anyone who walks by:: You, of all people!  
  
Grim: Uh... review, if you wish. ::mutters to self:: this ought to be interesting to watch... 


	40. Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Call off your lawyers.  
  
Quote of the week: "People are tasty - especially en flambé." -Fangirlitis  
  
Well, it's been over a year since I first posted this... time sure does fly. Anywho, only a few more chapters... then I get a well-deserved vacation... But enough about that - here's the recap of last chapter:  
  
Things are picking up as Finals are coming ever closer and everyone is studying their brains out. But, what should occur but a line of mysterious killings, where the victims have been casualty by means of Soul Consumption... not a very nice topic indeed, (seeing as I got my ass beat by Suzuka for just mentioning it.) and its bound to screw up final one way or another. It seems the laird's warning is coming true. But just who is to blame for this?  
  
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"It's ridiculous! Why would someone just go around eating a bunch of random people?" Givanni leaned back in his chair, idly reading a notice on his desk while the elf in front of him angrily argued further.  
  
"It wasn't the bodies that were devoured, it was their souls! Even you know how horrible that is." Ryo stood up, his small fist banging down on the headmaster's mahogany desk, sending the notice and a number of other papers flying. "I say that we keep the academy on alert, and try to keep as close an eye on all the students as possible."  
  
Looking over his reading glasses, the head of the academy neatened his papers and took off his reading glasses, which were hanging dangerously close to the end of his nose. "Yes, I suppose that's all fine and well; but what about the end-of-year finals? Surely such extreme measures would interfere with the tests, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?"  
  
"Look, I don't think you quite grasp the whole of what I'm saying. The old protections and even the wind pipes are failing; this place isn't nearly as ecure as it was ten years ago-"  
  
"Fine, you know what? I'll allow you to keep watch of the students and grounds, but if you dare even try to interrupt any of the finals - and I don't care if that means vanquishing some high-level demon or just getting yourself a cup of water - you are out of this school. Do I make myself clear?" Givanni had his hands folded on his lap, dark brown eyes holding the teacher's own in a steady glare, and the elf bowed his head meekly after a few seconds of the headmaster's unnerving gaze. "Yes sir, perfectly understood."  
  
"Good." It became deathly silent as Ryo opened the door and left, letting his green eyes wander over the autumn-scene that hung over the fireplace before stepping out into the office lobby.  
  
A pair of black ears pricked up behind a potted plant, and a tail swished back and forth around the feet of a fairly tall cat demon. Shikyo stood up from his slouching position against the wall and managed to form a wry grin, a brilliantly white fang poking over his lower lip. "So, how'd it go?" Ryo stormed past, his green eyes narrowed, and the English teacher, with a few apologetic looks back at the secretary behind the desk, ran after him.  
  
"It was that bad, huh?"  
  
"No, much worse." Ryo stopped in the middle of the plush carpeted hallway, making sure no one was around to listen, then slipped into an unused classroom, dragging Shikyo, by the tail, behind him. The cat hissed in pain, his pupils becoming mere slits, and possessively held the damaged appendage in his claws, stroking the ebon fur as his elven companion whispered in hushed tones.  
  
"Givanni seems to totally ignore the fact that the killings even took place; he barely let me get away with watching the academy borders."  
  
"Sounds a bit stupid to me... if something that bad was attacking random passerby, at least I would warn the students." The cat had stopped lovingly petting his tail, and now stared at Ryo, black ears cocked forwards. The elf sighed, and snuck a look outside of the room. "Yes, well, I'm on thin ice already... If I'm not careful, I'll be "let go" like Michealangelo."  
  
The bell rang, breaking the momentary silence between the two teachers, and both of them jumped, Shikyo's tail puffing out to an alarming size. With a growl, he wiped the grimy face of the wall clock and took a look outside. "Seventh period already. I'll be seeing Rachel after last period, so I'll tell her to keep an eye out then."  
  
The elf nodded in reply and opened the classroom door. "I'll go inform Suzuka, but I'm guessing he's already heard a bit about last night." Both teachers shared a look, then pretended that nothing had ever been said.  
  
With a groan, he groggily stared at the clock across the room, trying to make out the numbers from the spots. Three in the morning... had he fallen asleep while studying? With a slight yawn, Kurama stretched his arms and leaned back in his computer chair, green eyes blearily staring off into space for a moment, then shut the thick tome in front of him. It was one of those times when, although it wasn't quite the pitch-black of night, there wasn't enough sunlight to make everything clear, coloring the world in a palette of hazy grays.  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke were both sleeping soundly, never even bothering to stir as the fox tip-toed out of the room, and Hiei was most likely downstairs already; besides his sudden lapse into hibernation after absorbing the Black Dragon Wave, Kurama hadn't really seen Hiei sleep at all, as the fire demon was often outside till late at night, and first up in the morning. The door to Lark and Holly's bedroom was open a crack, and the redhead could barely make out the gauzy curtains floating in the breeze that came from the open window while he passed by. Lyra's door was firmly shut, although the complex menagerie of locks and bindings were gone, and the faint sound of soft jazz music wafted through the crack under the door – the raven-haired girl had probably fallen asleep with her stereo on yet again.  
  
The stairs proved nothing of an obstacle for the fox, even in his sleep- induced daze, and he slowly perked up as he made it past the living room and dining room, then poured water into the teakettle, letting the water boil as he searched through the crammed cabinets for his preferred brand of tea. Cautiously taking a fragile ceramic mug from the shelf above the sink, the fox glanced at the school calendar that was posted on the fridge and reality clicked. Finals were in two days... how time had passed that quickly, he couldn't really tell.  
  
It seemed like just a few days ago he had driven up the drive in the crummy van that Koenma had provided, listening to Hiei's choice of gloomy classical music and George's almost constant complaints about traffic; then the surprise of stepping out from the sliding van door with its tinted windows and staring in shock at the inexplicably purple house that was to be his new home... he couldn't have given any better an explanation than the one Kuwabara had provided, himself.  
  
"Ah, couldn't sleep very well, Kurama-san?" The fox jumped at the noise, the turned towards the smooth voice. Koryu had poked his four-eyed, whiskered head through the kitchen window, and was now searching the room with his eyes. Kurama put the tea mug down on the counter next to the sink, and turned to face the aquatic creature, who had retreated his head and was now cleaning his long whiskers. "No, I've been studying too much, I fear... at this point, I might just burn out."  
  
"Ah, that would be a pity, wouldn't it? Personally, there are more important things going on than your silly school finals."  
  
"So, is that the reason you're hanging around outside the house when Yusuke blatantly threatened to turn you into a fur coat?"  
  
Koryu sniffed, ignoring the comment, and started to clean his iridescent fins. "Miss Lyra's health is much more important that my own." He gave a final check over of the fin on his right foreleg, then moved onto the left. "Besides, do you really think, Kurama-san, that I would leave this place unprotected when such trouble was brewing?" The teakettle gave a shrill whistle, steam pouring from the spout, and Kurama broke off the conversation to pour the boiling water into his mug. Dipping the teabag in the hot water, the fox leaned against the counter and got a spoon from the silverware drawer, then turned to Koryu. "Want to continue this on the front steps?"  
  
The rodent-like monster nodded his large head, the whiskers moving in a silent sweep in the same direction, and disappeared from view, except for the long, rainbow-colored fin along Koryu's spine.  
  
"Maaa?" The dragonling twisted her neck around, one eye still focused upon the moths fluttering about her head, and nuzzled Hiei's collarbone. The fire demon sub-consciously reached up and scratched her underneath her slim chin, the dragonling's soft mane tickling his fingers as she leaned into his hand, a soft purr reverberating in her throat. "Maaa..."  
  
"Quiet, now." Hiei shut the young one's delicate snout, trying to listen in on the conversation between Kurama and Koryu; no doubt the pair felt his presence, but as far as they were concerned, he was just keeping watch out of boredom. Straining his usually exceptional hearing, the demon leaned forwards on the tree branch that was his perch and grumbled something incoherent as he shifted the sheathed katana at his waist.  
  
"I hope you understand that soul consumption is a serious predicament, saved only for those who are truly evil and twisted in hopes that they cannot be resurrected."  
  
"Yes, of course." Kurama sipped his tea, stirring the teabag with his spoon, and rested his hands on his lap. "However, I doubt Reikai has anything to do with this." Koryu nodded, the larger pair of eyes closing in thought, the curled his tail around himself. "No, it is not Reikai... I fear it is something much closer. Whoever has set this up has been planning for quite some time, and when informed of Koenma's interference, took serious measures to create the illusion that nothing is wrong."  
  
Kurama was about to reply, when a voice cut through in the darkness. "Well, you certainly know quite a bit for an overgrown water rat."  
  
Both Kurama and Koryu looked over at the tree, the former brushing a stray clump of red hair out of his face. "Nice to see you deem the conversation fit to join in, Hiei." The fire youkai glared at his compatriot, but vanished from the leafy boughs, taking position next by Kurama's side. The hatchling gave an indignant squawk at the rough form of transportation, but hung on, which was a definite improvement from merely a week ago; stretching down her neck, she accepted a gentle ear rub from the fox and cooed softly, her eyes lidded, the white lashes brushing against his hand.  
  
"The little one is quite taken with you, Hiei... Hard to believe such a gentle and affectionate creature could imprint a demon such as yourself." Hiei's right hand inched towards his katana, but the dragon's incessant nuzzling distracted the demon's attention.  
  
With a slight cough, as if to steer the conversation away from the white creature sitting ever-so comfortably on the black-clad youkai's shoulder, Kurama sipped his tea and continued on. "I have a feeling that this "little one", as you call her, if quite a hassle to our protagonist's plans... the very same night she was born, we were attacked..."  
  
"And if Lyra is SO important to you, why didn't you show up?" Kurama sweatdropped at his friend's outburst.  
  
"Well, uh, that's a bit uncouth, Hiei-"  
  
"No, it's fine. I just happened to be clearing the beach over there," Koryu tilted his head towards the cliff side staircase, lip stuck in a snarl. "A few skelefins were around, as well as a good-sized kelp spirit... believe me, no fun at all. If you ever need my assistance, though, Hiei, a blood- curdling scream should work-"  
  
"Would that be before or after this sword is pierced through your neck, vermin?"  
  
"Ah, now, now, you two... calm down before someone gets hurt." Both ebon companions stared at Kurama as if it was the stupidest idea in the world to keep the pain in check, and glared at each other out of the corner of their ruby-red eyes. With another sip of tea, the fox slowly stood up and opened the screen door, about to step through when a small light flared up on the screen, glowing a brilliant green. Reaching up with one finger, the fox had barely touched the bright being before it fluttered up, bobbing and weaving, then flew past his hair and collected with a group of other green lights that clustered near the end of the drive. As the hatchling snapped out to catch one that zipped by her nose, Hiei snatched it out of the air; his fingers gently closing around the light, and just as quickly released it.  
  
"Firefly," He remarked, moving his charge's head away from the said insect. Kurama nodded and remarked, "Well, isn't that a bit strange for this time of night," before leaving the front steps.  
  
Far above, a little black cat twitched and grumbled in his sleep, paws flexing and relaxing as though he were dreaming; with a sudden meow that sounded remarkably like a cry, the familiar was awake and pawing at his mistress' face.  
  
"Holly, you nitwit.... get up! Dammit!" Kyuro hissed, his back arched, then stole a glance outside the bedroom door as a faint clunk came from the hallway. Prepared for some specter or intruder, the cat tensed up, then relaxed, if not by much, when the door swung open to reveal the awkward shape of the golem that had been roosting in the house for nearly a week now. Realization struck, and, deciding that waking up Holly was rather the lost cause, Kyuro scampered off the witch's bed and out into the hall. He didn't stop until he was outside the tantei's bedroom, standing on the line of dull gray duct tape that separated the room since the beginning of the year.  
  
Kuwabara was passed out, utterly and completely, the blankets wrapped up around his body and a thin line of drool coming out of his open mouth as he snored; Yusuke wasn't in much better shape, although the spirit detective had managed to at least keep his sheets out of a knot. Pacing back and forth, the familiar wracked his brain for a way to wake the tantei up, then slowly grinned as he came up with quite the wicked idea. Grinning his evil little grin, the cat bounded up onto Kuwabara's nightstand and narrowed his green eyes at the ceramic cow on the table.  
  
"Hey, mooooooooove you ass out of bed! Come one, lazy ass... moooooo-" There was a loud crashing noise, followed by several others as the little ceramic bovine was flung down the stairs, and a very angry Yusuke, with bags under his brown eyes and his black, un-gelled hair in his face, stood in the door way of his bedroom, panting heavily. "That was the last straw... who set the alarm off, huh? Hey, stupid! Kuwabara, you idiot!" The punk gave the redhead a good punch to the diaphragm, thoroughly waking Kuwabara up with a fair amount of coughing and choking.  
  
"U... Urameshi.... don't do that to someone so early in the morn- hey... where'd my clock go?"  
  
From the shadowy corner near the night stand, Kyuro watched the scene with glee, but a faint sense of duty called him from his mental gloating. Gaining his fuzzy nerves, the cat leapt down between them. "Alright you two, stop whining. If you would be so polite as to sense the property for energy, make it snappy. There's trouble brewing."  
  
Both teens stared at the cat, wide eyed, then snapped out of their stupor to check on the aura's surrounding the house. When they were done, not a split-second later, both of them had sobered up quite nicely indeed.  
  
"Alright, furball, what's up?"  
  
"I dunno, but you better get the others up quickly." The black cat ran out the door, pausing at the top of the stairs. "I'll get Rachel and Erika; you wake up the others." Kyuro started down the stairs, then halted and looked back. "Do me a favor and leave Holly asleep... it's for her own good." With a swish of his silky tail, the familiar disappeared down the stairs.  
  
They called, the energy drawing forth millions of shattered particles - together, yet separate - as they floated in the endless heavens of reikai. Clouds faded, weakening and thinning until they were nothing more than gray wraiths of the majestic, billowing, puffs of white; the azure sky turned a sickly shade of greenish-gray, a bright green bolt of lightning dancing across the sky and making everything show up in stark black and white before it faded from the insides of her eyelids.  
  
No sound followed it.  
  
No booming thunder, nothing, and with that realization, there was a sucking sound, almost as if her soul was being split in two, and everything turned to black.  
  
...until a little green light brightened her path.  
  
"G'way, Urameshi..." Jin stifled another yawn, almost tripping up the basement steps again, ignorant to the panicked looks on Rogerik and the spirit detective's faces. There was no blast of energy; just a silent, yet painful, throbbing in the back of his head. Still, it probably deserved a good look, whatever it was, and even if nothing appeared, his tromp upstairs wouldn't be completely fruitless. After all, there was ibuprofen in the kitchen.  
  
"Hurry up, Windy. Something pretty big is out there, and I for-"  
  
From somewhere outside, through the door and stifling morning air, the tiny specks of ki, a signal so weak only a lower-life form could transmit it, grouped together, clumping and growing, drawing towards one point. Whatever it was, it was growing in power and sent waves of nausea over everyone.  
  
And the emptiness... it was like a part of his mind had been sucked out, blocked, just... not there. A part of him was missing.  
  
Yusuke and Rogerik obviously felt it; the thief was deathly pale, and Yusuke's brown eyes looked dull and lifeless. His ears drooping, Jin made it up the stairs, fighting off the aura of depression and melancholy, and managed to reach the front door, leaning against the doorframe, his blue eyes searching the gray horizon.  
  
By the door, Hiei was sitting on the front steps, and Koryu, the giant monster he was, was curled up into a ball by the fire demon's feet; only the dragonling was unaffected, and she was now nuzzling her "mother's" hand, making strange cooing noises and trying to get the demon to look up and clear his normally bright and murderous eyes.  
  
The drive was home to a swarm of little green lights, floating amidst the sudden fog that had rolled in from the sea, and then, there was a black shadow among them; it was vaguely human-shaped, and moved forwards as if it was gliding. The fog swirled around its feet, which were hidden under the dark cloak that went down past its ankles. Squinting his eyes as it came nearer, Jin noticed that, whatever it was, it was in a black dress, not a cloak. The figure's hands were hidden under the black, gauzy material that trailed from the sleeve collars in a flowing train, but the face, for that was the only other skin that showed, was a pale white.  
  
"That's it, isn't it? That's what caused all those deaths yesterday?" The windmaster almost jumped, but was lacking the energy as Rogerik's voice, trembling a little, came from behind.  
  
"Y-yeah... I guess. It just constantly draws energy." There was a strangled cry, and a small barn owl fell out of the plum tree as the specter floated across the front yard. Yusuke was at the door now, and was shaking Hiei's shoulder, but to no avail; the swordsman seemed to have gone into a coma of sorts. "Don't bother, Yusuke; I doubt anything will wake him until that phantom is gone."  
  
"Kurama-"The fox was leaning against the kitchen island, nearly panting, his green eyes half-shut. He momentarily closed his eyes, drawing up all his strength, then staggered to the living room and collapsed completely on the couch, his stamina spent. The detective looked back, about to rush towards his companion, when there was a screech from Koryu; the creature's fins had lost their iridescent sheen, the colors fading to a muted gray, and his body shook in spasms.  
  
"Wha- H-hey! Water-rat! Wake up you fleabag! Come on..." The words died in his throat, as the black figure came ever closer, a mere ten feet away from the front door. The dragonling was more anxious than ever now, latching her little claws onto the collar of Hiei's shirt and trying to drag the Jaganshi away by pure force, her wings flailing uselessly, her eyes wide in fear.  
  
The fireflies descended down upon Koryu, the monster's glossy black fur reflecting their green glow. The figure's face was slightly visible now, the short hair a light whitish-blue, the eyes a milky white... it was blind, as Jin realized.  
  
But, as the sun came over the horizon, turning the world from a dreary gray to a brilliant ochre, and the shadows lengthened, the tantei's eyes widened in horror.  
  
The specter, although completely stationary except for the rustling of its black gown and blue hair, came into full light, and the face was distinctly familiar. As if to further ratify their suspicions, its shadow stretched up, higher than anything that could be produced from such a humanoid creature, and spread broken wings, the sinewy neck stretching over the roof of the cottage.  
  
But it couldn't be... it, she, was dead...  
  
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Ah... so our mysterious phantom shows itself... but just who, exactly, could it be. Many of you, I hope, can piece it together and come up with a plausible answer.   
  
Preview of next chapter:  
  
She's back... but is she really whole?  
  
Kuwabara pins the blame on himself for not telling a higher authority figure (or anyone else, for that matter) about his teacher's warning... but who is behind the happenings, really?  
  
Hiei snaps out of his coma, and the hatchling receives her name. 


	41. No room for mistakes

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho... what? You don't own it, either, so NYAH!  
  
Quote of the Week: "Our kidney-shaped pool has a tumor..." - Fangirlitis  
  
Ne, sorry it took so long to update this chapter, guys. Mark Wood is too stupid to put an extra key to the computer lab in the office, and he took a few days off of work - with the only key still in possession, mind you. (I think he's power-hungry... and he's only 16... oo;;)  
  
::coughs:: Well, read and enjoy, minna-san.  
  
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With a grin of satisfaction, the bottom hinge came apart and he propped the door against the wall, trying to resist blocking his ears as jazz music filled the hallway. Stepping onto the plush blue rug, he flicked the lights on and took the remote from Lyra's desk, shutting the stereo off. From the corner of his eye, he saw the water manipulator stir under the covers, one hand still clutched onto the cover of a thick textbook; figured that she had fallen asleep while studying.  
  
"Hey, Lyra-chan... wake up; come on." He gently prodded her shoulder, and the girl's eyes fluttered open. Fighting a yawn, she pushed the covers away, and sat up, swinging her feet over the side. "What is it, Kuwabara? And what time is it..?" The redhead waited patiently as she looked at the clock on her nightstand, although he was nervously trying to hear what was going on downstairs.  
  
Cursing; and it was coming from Urameshi. Whatever was going on down there, it had the detective all riled up.  
  
"Kyuro woke me an' Urameshi up. Whatever went around eatin' people last ni- "  
  
"You mean soul consumption? It's the same person?" Lyra snapped to attention, one eyebrow raised. She had read the article as well, like almost every other student on campus, and quickly slipped her slippers on, grabbing a jacket to put on over her gray sweatpants and dark blue t-shirt; she swung open the French doors and leaned over the balcony, drawn by the sound of fighting from the front lawn. Pushing the dew-laden tree branches away, she saw a sickening sight.  
  
Koryu, fierce, proud monster he was, was curled up in a ball, his glossy coat reflecting the light of a swarm of fireflies and his iridescent fin dull and gray. "Ko-" A calloused hand was clapped over her mouth, and Lyra's cry was cut off.  
  
"Hey, calm down or we'll be the next targets." Kuwabara's voice wasn't far above a whisper, and as soon as Lyra nodded Kuwabara uncovered her mouth. "Can't we do anything? I mean, if it's out there, we can't just hide up here while their souls are sucked out."  
  
"I know, I know... but Urameshi probably has it all... under... control..." The words died in his throat, as the sun came up, painting the sky orange and golden-yellow, and a black shape stretched across the side of the roof. Mouth open wide, he jumped over the railing and ran across the roof, stooping down behind the corner of the roof and peeking out at the front yard. Yusuke was sprawled out in the dirt, too tired to move, as was Jin; Hiei was still seated on the front steps in a coma-like state, and Koryu was a shivering ball of fur. There, standing in the middle of it all, fireflies dancing about her feet, was a young woman.  
  
"No, it can't be...it, she's dead...."  
  
"Kuwabara, who's dead? Who is it?" Lyra had followed the redhead, and was now kneeling beside him, trying to look over his shoulder at the front lawn; the woman out front, she looked slightly familiar with her bluish- gray hair, which was cut short to fit the image of a business executive, although it was hard to place her, as the frst and only time Lyra had seen her, she was wearing flowing clothes in blue, sea-green, and purple instead of the long-sleeved, high-collared black dress. The eyes, although the same shade of white and just as blind, were lacking something... a spark, a sign of life, anything that might suggest that the mysterious woman was not some sort of automated robot.  
  
But, as the shadow that extended from her feet unfurled its massive, torn wings, covering the side of the house and much of the roof, and the sinewy neck moved against the thatched roof, all doubt was washed away.  
  
Cecilia... this phantom, this soul-eater, was dear old Cecilia. It was like the events over Christmas vacation had never happened.  
  
"No... it can't be... we saw her die, right?"  
  
"I'm as clueless as you are. Unless... of course! It had to be!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"He said it would get worse, and I bet he was planning this all along... damn necromancer."  
  
"Kuwabara, there's no necromancer in this school that would raise the dead. Calm down."  
  
"Gaah! I'm an idiot! I should've gone to one of the teachers, asked them to watch out for anything strange... wait! The offices; I might be able to warn them before she moves onto the rest of the school!" With a new look of determination, Kuwabara ran back towards the balcony, leaping over the railing effortlessly and throwing open the French doors. Lyra took another second, staring at the scene below her, before realizing she was alone; but, if anyone was seriously hurt down there... without a second thought, she was back on the balcony and barreling down the steps.  
  
There was no way the Laird would know just when was a good time to strike, unless maybe he had planted some sort of monitoring device inside the house... Kuwabara went through all the possibilities his mind could muster, going down the stairs three at a time. Well, there was one sure servant left in the house, and the teen skidded to a stop outside Rachel and Erika's bedroom door as his eyes fixed on the clay creature that was perched upon the kitchen island, the sphere-shaped head glowing faintly, with a brighter spot positioned much like the pupil of an eyeball.  
  
"You... so you're how he was able to spy on us..." He started for the golem, but stopped midway and stared.  
  
Kurama, he was sprawled out on the couch, totally limp and unconscious, and Rogerik was passed out on the living room floor. On the steps, the dragonling screamed and screeched, trying to move Hiei by force, her wings useless against the fire demon's size. Yusuke was passed out, as he had seen earlier, and Jin was as well.  
  
And Cecilia? Well, the disguised dragon made it quite clear that she was mindless to what she was doing. Even now, Kuwabara could feel the drain of energy that marked her now, and continued to stumble towards the living statue.  
  
Almost there... he could feel the cool clay underneath his fingertips, and the golem was too busy scanning the entire struggle between Cecilia and the others to watch out for a supposed friend. Two fingers touched the celtic knot wings and the Japanese teen soon had it clutched in his grasp, ready to run out the door when Rachel's bedroom door burst open, and the young teacher came out, a handful of sprouting seeds at ready.  
  
"And who do you think you are, you wench?!"  
  
Ah... Rachel was peeved now... peeved indeed. The seeds were catapulted at Cecilia, newly grown shoots and roots looking for a place to anchor on to; the blind woman blinked once, and the seeds fell short of their mark, the embers dying away in the damp grass. This, however, didn't daunt Rachel at all; she just picked a bigger plant, this time the potted one in the living room.  
  
The pot exploded, roots tangling and ensnaring anything in their way, stretching out the front door and wrapping up the dragon. Another blink, and the plant recoiled away from Cecilia, shrinking and shrieking all the way, until it huddled in the corner where the remains of its pot lay.  
  
Deciding that now was as good a time as ever to escape to the offices, Kuwabara tucked the golem under his arm and rushed out, ignoring the draining aura that surrounded Cecilia. Faintly, he heard a voice calling his name from behind, then a dull thud; fighting back the urge to charging at the dragon, the redhead continued down the drive.  
  
With a cry, her slipper-clad foot slid off the step, and Lyra fell, rather ungracefully, on her rear; her eyes shut in pain, the water manipulator slowly stood up and leaned against the couch armrest. "Ow..." she straightened up, brushing her long black braid over her shoulder, and opened her blue eyes.  
  
What she saw nearly scarred her.  
  
His intelligent green eyes were dull, half-closed as he shallowly breathed, and his red hair was a complete mess the kitsune was sprawled on the couch, his face pale; with a trembling hand, Lyra gently pressed two fingers to his jugular vein and felt her knees grow weak.  
  
Kurama... he had almost no pulse at all; if she hadn't seen his chest rising and falling in slow motion, Lyra would have thought him dead – even his phenomenal spirit energy had diminished to nothing. A strange noise, somewhere between a choked sob and a scream, issued from her throat, and she backed up against the wall, sliding down it as her legs seemed to become too weak to support her. Now, she could see the others, in the same state as Kurama, and Rachel was slumped against her bedroom door, a thin vine wrapping around her torso; only the dragon hatchling, frantically flailing her wings as Cecilia came ever closer to her adopted parent.  
  
"Lyra, hon, it's okay, calm down..." The black-haired girl barely realized that someone was clasping her slim shoulders, and the energy-draining abilities of Cecilia's aura was muffled. A wrinkled face blocked her view of the boys splayed out on the floor and ground, and the water-manipulator slowly seemed to realize that not everyone was gone –yet.  
  
"Alright, you'll be fine. Now, calm down, hon, where did Kuwabara go to?" The haze was clearing from her eyes, and Lyra looked much more alert now.  
  
"He went to the offices... he said that it was his fault that this was all his fault, that he didn't tell anyone..." Now, Lyra noticed the light golden shield that had been erected around the house, pushing the former friend back, and dulling her powers. Erika stepped back, her wizened eyes resting on the blond rogue on the rug floor, and nodded as a plan formed in her head.  
  
"Lyra, I need to maintain the barrier that's keeping Cecilia away; you need to protect Rogerik while he goes after Kuwabara."  
  
"I'm doing what?" The thief had managed to lift his head, and was now staring at Erika as though she had gone senile. "Look, I don't think that's my type of job. Yusuke, heck, even Hiei, would be better."  
  
"No, it's going to be you; the offices are locked and rigged, and I know for a fact that none of the others here could hope to get in undetected." Rogerik groaned in defeat, hanging limply from the armrest of Kurama's armchair; with a grimace, he stood up, rather unsteadily, and moved over to Lyra and Erika.  
  
"Fine, I'll do it," He said, obviously not very happy about it. Erika nodded, ducking back into her bedroom before reemerging with a small silver pocket watch. She flipped the engraved lid, and showed the thief the clock face; turning a tiny knob so that the little wheel inside that had a picture of a sun and moon (like the old antique clocks, that had the revolving wheel with the sky painted on it to distinguish between AM and PM) was equal, half a sun on the left side and half a moon on the right, and pushed it in. The numbers and hands turned from an antique watch face to a blank screen.  
  
"Push that knob in while the wheel is half-and-half, and it doubles as a communicator. I'll be on the other end if you need help." She smiled faintly, and, pulling the knob out again, the screen faded back to a watch, and she snapped the lid shut, letting it dangle from it chain in between her fingers before letting it drop into the astonished teen's hand. He nodded dumbly, clipping the chain to a belt loop on his pants, and turned to Lyra, a wry grin on his face.  
  
"Well, looks like I get the tough job again... Lyra, just make sure you keep that shield up, 'kay?"  
  
The black-haired girl managed a weak smile and replied, "Of course. Besides, Lark would kill me if you got hurt." With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, opened them again, and, with a faint glow emitting from her azure irises, a glowing blue bubble surrounded Rogerik. The thief started at the end of her sentence, and noticed, sourly, that the shield was sound-proof; although Erika and Lyra seemed to be talking, no sound issued from their mouths; as he ran out the front door, flashing a thumbs- up to his roommates as they started to awaken, Erika's much larger shield loomed before him. Taking a deep breath, he charged on, ignoring the fearsome woman behind its golden brilliance.  
  
There was a moment when, as he stepped through Erika's shield amongst a blinding flash of peacock blue and gold, the wind was knocked out of him and his knees became weak; as soon as he was completely through, though, the feeling was gone and he chased after the carrot-topped speck that was Kuwabara.  
  
"Hey! Anyone in there! C'mon, let me in!" Kuwabara gave a furious kick to the front doors, yelping as the sturdy door made his leg numb from impact. No one answered, and the teen tried to kick in the door again with his other leg, again to no avail; the doorknocker was useless, as he had guessed, and all the lights were out, even those in the headmaster's quarters.  
  
Wait, there was a light, emanating from a lamp, and it moved from one window to the next, shrouding the holder of the light. In seconds, the lamplight had descended down a set of assumed stairs, through a series of doors, and ended in the hallway; the doorway swung open, and Kuwabara ran inside, the golem tucked under his arm, jumping as the heavy doors slammed shut behind him.  
  
Everything was dark for a moment, then the room burst to light as the wall sconces flickered and lit up of their own accord; standing in the middle of the room, in between two staircases, was a wrinkled old man who was stooped over, his neatly trimmed wispy beard a bright white.  
  
"You called, young sir?" Judging by the old man's voice, he was ancient; Kuwabara was sure that if you hit him hard enough, a cloud of dust would rise up from his clothes (a black dinner jacket, black tie, white dress shirt, and black dress pants.) But, now wasn't the time to poke fun at old geezers, and he was definitely in a hurry - who knew how long Urameshi would be able to hold off the reanimated Cecilia.  
  
"There was undead trouble at my dorm... I need to speak to the headmaster now!"  
  
"Of course, sir. Take the stairwell to the right, go up to the fourth floor, bear left, and through the set of double doors. I bid you good night." With a bow, the old man disappeared up the left-side staircase.  
  
"What a freak... ack! Better hurry..." Long legs pumping ridiculously fast, Kuwabara had sprinted up the stairs.  
  
Always first up in the damn morning... his routine hadn't changed since January, and today was no different. Get up and get dressed, put on a pot of coffee, then go out to get the mail - most of which were letters to his students from home or, in rarer cases, the occasional Shounen weekly magazine. With a sigh, Suzuka opened the door to the beat-up mailbox and was about to shut it when he noticed a bright bubble of gold over the horizon.  
  
"Now... why in the three worlds is an energy shield being put up this early..?" Squinting his eyes a little, the inventor almost dropped his stack of letters. That was the tantei's dorm...  
  
A brilliant beam of blue shot into the sky, and a loud shriek followed it; there was a fight going on. Grimacing, Suzuka muttered, "Lovely, just what I need in the morning-"  
  
The turf at his feet exploded, but he smartly leaped out of the way, the mail still in hand. A crater had appeared on his front lawn, and the blond youkai cautiously peeked over the edge of its smoldering ruins. "Well, what might this be?" He reached down, pulling out a small pill-sized metal capsule; at his touch, it flashed once then unscrewed into two halves, allowing a shower of sparks to escape.  
  
Grayish-silver sparks erupted in the air, and the inventor's look turned from shock to anger; there was trouble on campus - as if that wasn't obvious - but it was much more than a schoolyard fight. This was a seriously high-level enemy, and, storming up the porch to retrieve a pair of goggles and a jacket, the teacher felt that he was indeed entitled to take part.  
  
They had ruined his lawn, after all.  
  
He left the porch, descending down the basement to his personal rooms, and packed a small bag with a variety of bottles and pouches, then pushed a large red button on the wall, smiling in devilish satisfaction as a section of the wall slid up, and the familiar grinding of gears was heard as the storm hatch tilted upwards to form a ramp for the shining, highly polished mechanical behemoth hidden in the basement.  
  
It was purring at the thought of a ride, without so much as a speed limit to make it slow down, and that was what the inventor was hoping for.  
  
'Of course it's locked... nothing could ever be easy for me.' The thief mentally griped, unlocking the large brass tumbler. The lock mechanism clunked, and the door creaked open. Poking his head in, he peered into the unlit hallway and strained his ears. No one was coming. Good.  
  
He flattened himself against the wall, crouching underneath the tall windows and trying to keep the curtains from moving too much. From up above, there was a slight click, and the thief paused, trying to make out any movement above his head. A minute or two passed, and he continued on his way, one hand searching the wall in front of him for a light switch. Grinning, he felt the light switch underneath his fingers and was about to move the little slider-piece when the lights flared on.  
  
Rogerik swore, a hand flying up to protect his eyes from the sudden flash.  
  
"Young sir, just what are you doing up here so late? The office is closed now..." The speaker was an old man, more like ancient, really. Rogerik blinked a number of times, then managed to choke out, "I, uh, got lost... I'm really sleepwalking, so I'll just mosey on out, if you don't mind." He took a few wary steps backward, had groping for the door.  
  
"Ah, well, sir, I'm afraid that you won't be moseying anywhere... you see, master Givanni is quite fond of his privacy, and gives me the leniency to do what I wish with trespassers such as yourself." The old man cracked his wrist in a move so sudden that Rogerik was sure he had broken it; but, inches from his left ear, the long red curtain fell, sliced neatly in half at a steep angle. It took another wrist-crack, this time followed by the fall of yet another curtain, for the psychic to piece two and two together - the old man was doing this.  
  
"I told her that Yusuke would do a better job, but nooo..." he stopped his whispered complaint just in time to duck out of the way as a horizontal karate-chop was aimed around his head from the other end of the room, and ran towards the door, painfully conscious of the deep gashes in the hardwood floor. From the corner of one eye, he saw the ancient butler draw back both arms, held in front of him like and X or cross, and squeezed his eyes shut as he leapt forwards, waiting for the invisible attack to shred him to pieces.  
  
It didn't come.  
  
Cracking one eye open, he peered over at the old man and saw that his arms were being held back by something much taller than he was; and whatever that thing happened to be, it was black, furry, and smiling, showing off a set of incredibly sharp and white teeth.  
  
"Hey, share the fun, now."  
  
Great, now he was hallucinating... but the creature - whoever it happened to be - did sound remarkably like Shikyo, although the words were nearly growled out instead of the teacher's usual smooth voice.  
  
With a snarl, the old man's arms were twisted completely backwards and, although he gave no recognition of pain, had most likely been popped out of their sockets. The cat-demon stepped back, admiring his handiwork with a casual ease, then stepped towards the thief.  
  
"You know, you really should be go-"  
  
The snap was nearly deafening, and aside from a new hole in the wall, a half of the whiskers on the left side of Shikyo's face floated down. Turning around, the both of them watched in disgusted fascination as the butler snapped his arms back into their sockets while standing on one foot; he had attacked through a kick.  
  
"Ne, scratch that... I'll catch up." A slight grimace on his furred face, the demon pushed Rogerik towards the staircase on the right and crouched down, his long claws unsheathed and his tail twitching madly. The psychic opened his mouth, but closed with a snarl from Shikyo and slowly backed towards the stairs; taking one last look, he dashed up the steps.  
  
"Maaa! Maaa!" She flapped her wings, air rushing over the snow-white membranes and through her snowy mane, but still, he wouldn't budge.  
  
Hiei had been in pretty much the same position for about a half hour now, red eyes half-lidded and staring into the space beyond the strange glowing barrier that had been set up. Cecilia, still human-like in appearance, stood outside the glowing wall in a trance; her sightless eyes were dull and her hair hung limply. Even her huge shadow was drooping, the illusionary wings tattered beyond recognition and the great talons were split and cracked.  
  
"Hiei, answer me, man!" Yusuke roughly shook the demon by the shoulder, perhaps for the tenth time, but Hiei's expression didn't change. It was like he was frozen in that spot. Jin, his red hair sticking out in all directions and his sky-hued eyes wild, descended enough to sit Indian-style in the air next to Yusuke; his mouth was set in a troubled frown, one fang poking over his lower lip.  
  
"Oi, I think he ain't goin' to be moving anytime soon, Urameshi. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a victim of her intimidation stare..." The wind master put emphasis on 'her' and waved a hand in front of the fre demon's face. "Yep, that's the problem; he prob'ly won't wake up 'til Cecilia is put down."  
  
"You're kidding me," Yusuke stated, looking away from his teammate. "There's no way Hiei could ever be scared by her; it's impossible."  
  
"No, it's very possible." The voice came from inside, and both roommates looked over; Kurama, brushing his crimson hair out of his face, had recovered remarkably from the dragon's aura-sucking power. The fox had managed to stand up, ergo without most of his usual grace, and was now being questioned by Lyra about his own physical well-being.  
  
"Kurama, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Lyra-san, stop worrying." The fox turned from Lyra to Erika, and bowed his head. "Thank you for setting up that shield, Erika-san."  
  
"Oh, it's no problem, dear. But, I was wondering if you might have any idea as to ridding ourselves of that carcass out front."  
  
Brown eyes flashed, and Yusuke, without really meaning to, found himself defending the dragon. "Hey, that isn't any corpse, you know! She gave her life saving us!"  
  
Erika, her wrinkled face blank of any readable emotion, placed a hand on the spirit detective's shoulder. "Yusuke, I know this might be a little hard for you to understand, but that isn't Cecilia..."  
  
"Eh, Erika, what're ya sayin'! Who else has a shadow like one of those flying lizards-" Jin stopped his furious rant with a glare from Yusuke, and meekly settled down. "Well, as I said, who else could it be?"  
  
"Oh, that is her, in a way..."  
  
"Then stop contradicting yerself! It's confusing!"  
  
"Do not question my motives." The old woman whapped Jin lightly on the head, barely managing to reach despite standing on her tiptoes. "Now, as I said, that is not entirely Cecilia. It is her body, yes, but not her soul. Whoever summoned her back to our realm must have acquired a soul to inhabit her corpse."  
  
Silence reigned, until Lyra timidly asked, "So, there's not a trace of our Cecilia in there?"  
  
"I'm afraid there's nothing of her that we knew... And I doubt her essence could be recalled, even if we found out how she was brought to our plane of existence from Reikai." Kurama had made it to the door with little help from the water manipulator, and was staring at the black ball that was Koryu. "Is there anything we might be able to do about Koryu-san? I think I might have some herbs that might work..."  
  
"No. That rat is NOT going in MY house." Yusuke gulped slightly at the dirty look that Lyra gave him, but his expression remained stubborn. There was a slight crackling noise from the barrier, and the five companions looked back to see the golden light that was Erika's shield flicker and jump. "Uh, you know, you better move him... yeah. Come on, we'll help."  
  
Yusuke hoisted Koryu's ebony head up, bracing the weight against his shoulder, and Jin flicked his wrist, watching with satisfaction as the creature's long body was lifted in the air and safely carried inside. Within minutes, Lyra and Erika were tending to Koryu's wounds while strengthening the wall between them and Cecilia.  
  
The she-dragon's eyes flashed as a wispy aura roared up in her right arm, and she aimed a furious swiped at the shield, attacking as though talons were at her fingertips instead of nails. The barrier cracked at the brunt of her attack, but sealed itself, although the spot was undoubtedly weaker than before.  
  
"Alright, I'm tired of this!" Yusuke took aim, blue reiki gathering at his pointer finger. "You guys in?"  
  
"Very well, Yusuke."  
  
"Yeah, let's just get this over with and go to sleep."  
  
With a crack, a red rose was transformed into Kurama's rose whip and the fox expertly cracked it mere inches from the barrier's edge, watching as the Cecilia-double snarled at its green tip. Jin, not be outdone, felt the winds rise beneath him as a small whirlwind formed around both his arms.  
  
And then they waited for the wall to break.  
  
"Ah, headmaster?" Kuwabara lightly rapped on the door. He was so high- strung; would he make it in time? Had Cecilia already finished them off? Was the Laird too far to capture already?  
  
So many questions, so little time...  
  
He nearly jumped a foot when the door opened with an ominous creak, and he poked his head in. The room was pitch black, but there was a slight motion from the far side of the room and the fireplace ignited, crackling and blazing as though it had burning for hours.  
  
"Kuwabara, what a nice surprise! What brings you out here at this time?" Givanni was seated in the cushy chair behind his desk, hands folded on its mahogany surface. He motioned for Kuwabara to sit down, and the teen complied, placing the golem on the headmaster's desk. With a smile, Givanni waved a hand at the tray of decanters and bottles on the corner of his desk.  
  
"Can I get you a glass of water? Tonic? Maybe a little wine, as long as you don't tell anyone-"  
  
"No, that's not what 'm here for! ... I, uh, well," Kuwabara took a moment to get his wits together, then, while Givanni was still stunned, shouted, "A dragon - I mean, Cecilia - attacked us! An' Urameshi an' the others are still stuck back there, and I dunno is they're still kicking, but even if they are, Cecilia is the one who attacked those people last night and she's being controlled by Laird Michealangelo! He's been spying on us since he left, and he's been using that golem to do it!'  
  
The smile faded from Givanni's face, and his glass of wine stopped half-way to his lips; the head master sighed, placing the glass on his desk, then folded his hands in his lap. "Tell me again, and slower this time."  
  
"Cecilia, the dragon that helped us over Christmas, is back. She's attacked my friends at our dorm, and is being controlled by Laird Michealangelo, who left on a trip and has been using this golem to spy on us." Kuwabara took a breath after all of this, and stared somewhat hopelessly as Givanni stayed mute. The headmaster took a quick sip of his wine, and gave a sidelong glance at the clay golem sitting on his desk.  
  
"Are you sure this is the Laird's tool for spying?" he asked slowly, letting the wine roll on his tongue. At Kuwabara's nodded reply, he stood up with a sweep of his cotton haori and placed a hand on the quivering creature's sphere head.  
  
"Why, hello, Laird... you are watching this, aren't you? I knew you wouldn't leave here without some sort of connection."  
  
The golem stiffened, and its wings drooped. Taking this as a "yes", Givanni continued.  
  
"Quite easy to piece together, hm? Well, now that your own student turned you in, what are you going to do, my friend? Leaving without so much of a note, then plotting against me... clever, but still easy to figure out."  
  
The golem twitched its long neck under the headmaster's touch, and Kuwabara looked from one to the other.  
  
"You can talk to him, through that thing?" He pointed to the golem, and Givanni's easy-going smile once again graced his features. "But of course, Kuwabara. And to tell you the truth, he's watching as I speak."  
  
"Er..."  
  
"Now, now... calm down; I doubt he could do anything from such a distance. I've had an eye on him myself, and from what I've learned, he's secluded himself somewhere in south-western Makai, am I correct?" The question was aimed at the golem, and it dutifully nodded its head. "Ah, that's good. It's so nice when a plan comes together!"  
  
"What plan?"  
  
"Well, not only do I plan on pursuing the Laird once I get the chance, but I've also sent an employee of mine to search the grounds for anyone who might be in league with the necromancer. Hey, don't give me that look - you turned him in, so I hold you innocent for the Laird's actions.  
  
"But, you see, you did make one mistake, as did he... and I'm afraid the punishment must rest on you, Kuwabara."  
  
The redhead slowly stood up and backed away towards the door; Michealangelo's golem shrilly screeched, its Celtic-knot wings beating the still early-summer air. Givanni didn't move, but stood there with that smile on his face, confident in the knowledge that his door was firmly locked. With a snap of his fingers, the figure in the portrait by the door seemed to move - no, it was moving - and, although canvas and paint could not possibly do such a thing, grasped the edge of its frame. Its long spindly fingers clutched at the wood portrait frame, it's suit-clad torso leaned out, and in one slurred moment of surprise, it had a fistful of Kuwabara's hair in its hand. The teen yelped in pain, desperately trying to break the portrait's grip, but froze as Givanni stepped over; the headmaster still wore that same careless smile and leaned forwards, hands shoved in his pockets, to whisper in Kuwabara's ear.  
  
"You see, Kuwa-san, Michealangelo is the good guy... not me."  
  
There was sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, and he felt the room grow dim. But when he hit the floor, he vaguely realized that it wasn't the rich, velvety carpet of before...  
  
It was a bed of fire-colored leaves.  
  
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Ah, would finish the last few fight scenes this chapter, but it's already thirteen pages long and you guys have waited almost an entire week; I'm cruel like that. But, the next chapter will be up by the end of the weekend! ...I hope. ;;  
  
Which means the hatchling REALLY gets her name, Cecilia's appearance is ACTUALLY explained, and Kuwabara FINALLY is rescued from a horrible life in...  
  
... a pile of leaves...  
  
Er... yeah.  
  
Oh, as an extra-side-chapter/outtakes-thingy (which will be put up when this is done), I'm taking questions for the original characters for a Q&A session, and if you guys want to know how I got the idea for characters/places/events in this story, you're welcome to ask that too.  
  
Ciao! 


	42. To ride off into the sunrise

Disclaimer: Too poor to pay attention, much less buy the rights to Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Quote of the week: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying." -Woody Allen  
  
Ne, I know I'm evil, and I didn't update as fast as I'd hoped, but this chapter is fairly long to make up for it ; and a quick thanks to Dalt-chan, who hid Soul Caliber 2 from me and forced me to find better ways to amuse myself. ;;  
  
Also, over 100 reviews! w00t!  
  
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The tumbler clicked, sliding out of place, and Rogerik pushed the door open. The noise was deafening in the quiet room, and he was afraid that someone would hear him; he had heard a loud thud come from the room just a minute earlier, not to mention the incredibly unusual spirit energy weaving its way around the room, and had been hard at work gaining entry.  
  
Gray-green eyes peering into the darkness, the thief saw... nothing. The room was completely empty; the mahogany desk was still neat and orderly with the tray of liquor and decanters placed upon it, the windows were firmly shut and long curtains tied, and there was nothing left in the fireplace except for a couple smoldering ashes. Pale sunlight came in from the tall windows, and Rogerik cautiously stepped inside, leaving the door open behind him. By all means, it looked as though no one had been in the room for a few hours.  
  
But, things were never that simple... no, nothing here could ever be that easy.  
  
Still, as the room gradually lit up to the familiar warm wood tones that decorated the rest of the main office building, he felt the tenseness in his chest slowly loosen and unknot. With a soft sigh he took to casually looking about the room and checking out the papers on the headmaster's desk, the task at hand almost entirely forgotten.  
  
To tell the truth, he wanted to forget it. Just leave and let the others handle it; Yusuke was the Spirit detective, the savior of humanity and all- around good guy (no matter how much he hated to admit it), not him. No, he was just the weak little boy who scurried around and stole what he needed instead of earning it.  
  
There was a soft, almost inaudible, click and he whirled around, his eyes catching a flash of orange and skin-tones among a pile of russet-red leaves as he turned to face the intruder.  
  
It was Givanni, with a cheerful smile on his face and a folder under his arm. The headmaster nodded at Rogerik and sat down behind his desk.  
  
"And just what, may I ask, are you doing in my office, Lewis?"  
  
"Er..."  
  
"Dammit!" the cat spat out blood, rubbing his temple where the column had grazed him. Shikyo hid behind a potted tree, his tail and ears twitching in agitation, the fur along his arms and the back of his neck prickling from the adrenaline rush that accompanied battle. His opponent, and old man who looked like he would break if it weren't for the strange way his eyes were bugging out with battle-driven glee, leaped from one column to the edge of the skylight, hanging by a finger as he sought out another handhold from which to sneak up on the cat from.  
  
With a cackle, he nearly flew across the room, his twisted arms snapping out as he clung onto the tree branch, and he laughed out loud as the black- furred cat hissed and lashed out at him. This rush, this hunt, was all the reason to serve his master; not too long ago, he had been put to rest in the city's local graveyard, his headstone facing towards the isolated prison over the horizon. He had been in solitary confinement then, before he died, and, although he couldn't quite recall why he had been in prison to begin with (it had been so long he'd been in there that he couldn't remember anything else in detail), he knew that it had something to do with the same rush he was feeling now.  
  
The cat below him gave a warning growl, leaping out of the way as he aimed a kick at its shelter, and descended to earth among the clearing dust, leaves, and debris.  
  
He hadn't had enough of this before his death - none of the inmates had been nearly as fun as this ebony feline. Of course, his master had promised him plenty of hunts were he to serve after his passing; every kill resulted in more life energy for himself, keeping him alive. It had been the very night of that bargain that he had felt his muscles twitch, his thoughts flow, and he had dug his way out of his coffin and to the surface with his very nails.  
  
...To the left.  
  
He leaped away, watching as the large disc of stone, a segment from a collapsed decorative column, collided with the floor - a crippling attack if it had hit - and saw the black blur cut through the dust from the opposite side. The black figure coiled its long legs and leapt up at him, claws unsheathed and ready to dig into his old flesh. As a last ditch attempt, he landed on another column, digging his nails in, and scurried to the back; the dodge worked, and the cat shredded the stone to bits, claws screeching and sparking against the marble. With a whoop, he pushed off and landed on the ground, rolling out of the way as the marble pole wobbled and collapsed unto itself.  
  
The cat's landing wasn't nearly as graceful, as a falling chunk of marble managed to slam down upon him, crushing him to the floor; Shikyo yowled and hissed, his fur sticking up in all directions, and pushed the rock off of himself, rolling to his feet. His right leg sagged under his weight and he limped over to the front desk, trying to keep weight off of the injured paw. "Dammit..! For the love of - ack!" He jumped over the desk, ducking low as the invisible attack skimmed over the very top of the desk and left a horizontal gash in the wall.  
  
Poking his head over, he saw the old man lunge forwards, and went to run out of the way, totally forgetting his leg. The injured paw failed to work and he tripped, his gray eyes wide as the butler in disguise prepared for another crossed karate chop.  
  
The shield broke in a dazzling show of golden sparkles that drifted on the wind, and out from the twinkling drizzle came Cecilia, full force. An astral dragon, not quite real in appearance, roared out of the sparkles, maw opened wide and its transparent teeth tearing up the turf in its path. Yusuke braced himself, guarding his face with his arms, and he felt Jin's wind shield surround him and the house.  
  
It crashed through the wind shelter and howled along the ground, leaping from Cecilia's body in a ghostly torrent. There was a rush of something cold, leaving him with the feeling that he had been dumped in ice-cold water, and his gut twisted as the energy was totally sucked out of him; his chocolate eyes turned blank and his arms fell to his sides as he dropped to his knees.  
  
It was going to be over now... it had to be. There was nothing stopping their former ally now, as the horrible attack twisted and writhed in the air, still attached to her by the tip of its tail. With a grimace, the spirit detective prepared himself for the worse, wondering just what it would be like to die a third time.  
  
He had never thought that death would sound so much like an automobile engine.  
  
Opening one eye, Yusuke saw the vehicle, which was currently descending from a jump, and took a minute to connect the driver with a familiar face. Damn... it was Suzuka. How often the inventor was going to keep appearing and saving them, he didn't know.  
  
Not like he was going to complain or anything...  
  
"Oi, you need a bit of help?" The inventor pulled the goggles up over his head, sitting astride a large motorcycle. The bike was dark green with black leather seats and chrome fittings and tail pipes. It was a low rider, too... nice. Without meaning too, Yusuke found himself complimenting Suzuka's taste in motorcycles.  
  
With a groan, he nodded, and managed to get back to his feet. Looking back, he saw that Lyra had managed to pool the last of her energy into a compact bubble that blocked the attack's path through the open front door. The twisting dragon convulsed and shrieked, but amazingly managed to avoid hitting Hiei, who was still in his coma.  
  
"Help would be nice..." Jin was still trying to force Cecilia away, and the she-dragon merely took a step back, out of the way of his rushing gale. Her face was expressionless, and the shadow stretching from her feet was in a fearsome attack position; wings outstretched, neck arched, the sharp talons looked about ready to tear into the roof. They saw the bubble tremble as the attack rammed into it once again, and Lyra visibly shook from the impact; Erika was barely strong enough to sit up straight.  
  
So it seemed like Cecilia was able to channel her draining abilities... still, there was much to be said for pure exhaustion, and had it been a non- life-threatening situation, the girl would have passed out quite a while ago. Suzuka strapped the goggles back on and leaned back over the handlebars of the motorcycle, kicking the start pedal and revving the massive engine before flying at Cecilia's human disguise at full speed.  
  
She whipped her head around - too late, it seemed - just in time to see the bike skid in her direction, the rider's leg almost touching the ground as he forced the bike into a hairpin turn, and a shower of dirt and stone pelted the dragon, distracting her long enough for the protective bubble to steady and re-establish itself. Kurama nodded a thanks to Suzuka, who was already coming around on the bike for another skid. Jin, seeing a way to aid in the inventor's diversion, whipped up a small whirlwind and sent it into the middle of the spray of dirt, causing the stones to fly around and pin Cecilia in one spot. As it rose skyward, there was a blinding green flash from the doorway, and a tiny black shape stood behind the raven- haired girl's shield.  
  
"Now, do I need to ask again, or did I make myself clear the first time? What are you doing here?"  
  
Rogerik didn't move so much as a muscle. Surely there had to be some alibi to get him past the headmaster... unless maybe he already had no idea about Cecilia. Considering a huge uproar hadn't been started already, perhaps Kuwabara hadn't made it up yet and was just coming around the corner, out of breath and apologizing for getting lost.  
  
No, that was stupid. He had felt Kuwabara's aura through the office door, and could even sense it now, although it was exceptionally weak and distant. No choice but to come up with an excuse... but that was just as dumb. Confuse the headmaster and run? Well, that was slightly better. He backed up towards the door and placed one hand on the knob, mentally swearing as the door refused to open; hadn't it been open and unlocked last he checked? Argh... there was no time to think about it. Since the unusual disappearance of Kuwabara, the evil-killer-attack-butler, and the slightly malicious look the teacher was giving him, Rogerik had second thoughts about trusting Givanni.  
  
Swallowing hard, the blond tried something that had never worked for him before - intimidation tactics.  
  
"I got lost, so I decided to come by. I wanted to decline my queued position for the summer program, y'see..."  
  
"Oh, is that all? Well, of course." The dangerous sneer faded, and the thief relaxed. Bluff it out and run... better to live another day than go missing like Kuwabara. Speaking of which, he had might as well try and find the oaf before skipping off.  
  
Givanni took a pen and wrote a note on a post-it-note on his desk, and motioned to the seat in front of his desk. When the thief declined, he shrugged and continued to write. Rogerik caught the time on the clock on the headmaster's desk, and his face paled. It had been about a half hour since he first left. Would it be too much to ask for to have his friends be okay, or even still alive?  
  
'Stay focused, you dolt.' The taunt, which surprisingly echoed through his head in Lark's voice, made the psychic snap out of La-La-Land and get to back to the task at hand: escaping. The windows would be pretty easy, since they were so big, but traps and gadgets were always a possibility - and so were curses. His eyes roamed the room, and the thief was about to get up and leave when he saw a small piece of curled ceramic poking out of the headmaster's trash barrel.  
  
Wait, Kuwabara had dragged that stupid golem up here, right? So if a piece of the golem was stuck in the trash, wasn't the Japanese boy up here somewhere? Rogerik looked for anything, even the slightest hint of Kuwabara's locale, but was interrupted by Givanni, who had stopped writing and was now looking straight at him with that same sneer as before.  
  
"I have a hunch that maybe you aren't here for just making plans for returning home."  
  
"Uh, no, of course not! Really!" He backed away from the desk, trying to calm down Givanni, who was getting up from his desk. The older human had gotten up and reached the thief in a manner of seconds, then snapped his fingers. Behind him, the floor exploded upwards and Rogerik looked on in fear as the butler-of-doom from before picked its way across the snapped floorboards; a large black lump of fur was lying prostrate at the foot Givanni's desk.  
  
So Givanni was the old geezer's master... freaky. The psychic was about to feint a right and run over towards the fireplace, his eyes focused on the cast-iron poker that hung on a hook by the mantel, but the black lump moved, then slowly got to its knees. Shikyo... the cat was in bad shape, and even under the glare of a madman and the butler-nator, Rogerik could see the teacher struggling to stand up. Apparently, the explosion had been because the cat demon had been thrown through the ceiling below, and it was by pure luck (or perhaps a thick skull) that he had lived through it.  
  
"Elgereiz, please hold this boy back; oh, and make sure our Shikyo-sensei doesn't escape either... I'll have a word with him later." Givanni sauntered away from Rogerik and nodded towards the ancient man on his way out, who took a few herky-jerk steps. Shikyo had done his best while fighting and had left some damage, as Elgereiz, whom he assumed was the butler, had a number of cuts and shards of bone was sticking out through the pale wrinkly skin and dirty jacket. The headmaster shoved Rogerik out of the way of the door and was about to close it behind him when he poked his head back in.  
  
"Oh, and have a nice day, you two. Too bad Kazuma isn't around to take part."  
  
The door shut, and Rogerik was left in the room with the mad butler and injured cat demon. He didn't bother to speak or cry out as Elgereiz, whom he preferred to call "evil-butler-from-hell" to begin with (it simply fit much better), slammed him to the floor with a well-aimed elbow jab to the back of the neck.  
  
Givanni had dared to call Kuwabara by the teen's first name, as if they were good friends; but, even worse, the headmaster probably knew where the carrot-top was and had chosen to ignore his warning.  
  
They were screwed... with a capital S.  
  
The portraits in their frames seemed to leer at him as he strode down the hall, one even going so far as to reach out from his own frame and grabbing an apple from a still life painting and throw it at him.  
  
Stupid paintings. Ever since he first came to this damn school...  
  
Givanni grabbed the apple in midair and tossed it over his shoulder, unperturbed by the event. Soon, classes would start, and no one would be able to miss seeing Cecilia. It had taken years to set everything up; little by little, ever since he had been elected headmaster ten years ago, he had been weakening the academy's defense system. When Koenma, finally suspicious enough to send his own best, and only, spirit detective, Givanni had nearly panicked. Those first few months had been a minor setback, and he had only regained enough gall to continue his works after assessing the four early on in the year; over time, though, they had delivered a most powerful and surprising weapon into his hands: the dragon.  
  
It had taken a bit of smooth talking and bribery with the guards of the spirit plane to be able to reanimate her without Reikai knowing, but once she had risen and gained enough energy from the victims of the other day, Cecilia had proved to be fairly unstoppable; when she had died, back in December, and her grave was erected, the tree that was planted over her corpse had done much of the work of restraining her energy and storing it. But now, an unintended factor had come into play, and no matter how he had tried to get rid of the hatchling, it had always managed to get away.  
  
If he didn't know better, he'd say that Cecilia's true soul, the one that had been sealed away in spirit world, was keeping watch over the child dragon, even through death.  
  
It was unnerving... but irrelevant.  
  
As he stepped over the debris of what used to be the front lobby and desk, the headmaster stiffly brushed a bit of dust from his shoulder. Someone had to be blamed for this, and the Laird's sudden trip made him all the more suspicious to the public. Of course, the students would have to be sent home early, finals cancelled, and the school would eventually become so overridden by the undead and monsters roaming the forest that the academy would have to be shut down. And then, he could continue to raise undead, undisturbed, in the ruins of the school and take on Koenma.  
  
If one dragon was too much for the tantei, what would they possibly do about a few more added to the ranks of his forming army? Well, he supposed they had to survive the first one in order to take on the rest.  
  
But, even if they managed to break the barrier that separated soul from body, he highly doubted they would.  
  
Fog drifted through the trees and loud explosions could be heard from way off in the distance. Groggily, Kuwabara got to his feet, brushing red leaves off of his T-shirt, and looked around at the fall scenery.  
  
Wait... fall? Wasn't it early June just this morning?  
  
"Where am I?" he wondered, awestruck at the fiery foliage. His only reply came from his left, as a rather ugly feathered youkai with spikes protruding from its wrists and forehead leaped out at him, its gray tunic shredded and torn to bits. There was an orange flash and strangled yell, and the demon was speared on the end of Kuwabara's spirit sword, still scrabbling for the teenager. A talon swiped past his head and he cut off the energy flow to his weapon, letting the demon crumple to the ground as he dodged backwards.  
  
"What the? I can't be in... the demon world, can I?" As if in precaution of this possibility, his spirit sword once again flared from his clenched hands, and not a moment too soon.  
  
From opposite sides, two demons, one in a makeshift gray uniform and another in a blue pants/vest combo, charged at each other, meeting in the middle to grapple. Kuwabara rolled out of the way, and his movement seemed to shift the attention of the two; they stopped fighting and flexed their claws and muscles, suddenly aware of the human scent. One of them, the one with the gray uniform had a ridged back resembling that of a hyena, growled out loud, showing off rather formidable incisor teeth, and lowered its short snout to sniff around. Kuwabara crawled into a bramble bush, ignoring the thorns as the pricked his skin and drew forth blood, and watched as the hyena-demon came even closer to him. The other, a dark red oni with black hair, took a sidelong glance at the fallen demon over to the side, and backed off; even if this was a human, they had enough of a handle on their ki to take out a youkai.  
  
"Wherrrre arrrrre yooouuuu?" The hyena slashed at a random bush near Kuwabara, grinning as he felt the increase of fear. Flexing his claws again, he trotted closer to the bramble bush, taking a horizontal swipe at it and making red leaves fly. He had forgotten all about the oni, and was now intent on hunting his frightened prey - a bad move.  
  
Taking advantage of a quick victory, the oni dashed forwards, swinging a heavy mace at the hyena's head, and Kuwabara heard a sickening thud followed by retreating footsteps, then recoiled away from the demon's fallen body. "That was close... sheeeeee."  
  
He got up and ran, leaping over fallen and wounded fighters, eventually making his way across a wide empty field of tall grass, before the world swam and he collided with dirt. Kuwabara cursed, rather colorfully too, and reached out, his expression turning from surprise to anger as his hand pressed flat against an invisible wall. Getting up, he kept one hand on the wall and followed it for a few yards, swearing loudly as it came to an equally invisible corner. With a sigh he flopped down on the grass, careful to keep out of the eyesight of demons, and stared up at the smoke-clouded sky, thinking about the situation.  
  
Was he really stuck here? For good?  
  
"So... heard any good jokes lately?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Rogerik sighed, and proceeded to stare up at the ceiling. Elgereiz had bound both the thief and cat demon around the ankles and wrists, and, although it wasn't quite so bad in Rogerik's case, he knew Shikyo's temper had to be running short – especially with his crushed paw. The demon had reverted from his much larger, completely furred, self, to his normal form: an average-sized human with black cats ears and a tail. His bindings were tighter than the rogue's, and his hands were covered with thick chain mail gloves and tied behind his back... probably so he couldn't claw his way out.  
  
Rogerik let his eyes roam over the room, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible to evil-butler-from-hell, and he gaze finally rested on the autumn landscape over the fireplace. Not quite in the mood for another round of "Let's find all the hidden corpses!", he quckly glazed over the painting, but something caught his eye; for once, it wasn't a pleasantly disguised body, but something moving. Straining his vision, the thief almost fell backwards, but instead nudged the cat next to him in the ribs.  
  
"Hey, man, look at the painting."  
  
Stars and little tweety-birds flew in circles around his head, and Rogerik tried to sit up. Elgereiz had pinned him to the floor with a rib-crunching kick and was grinding his wrist into the splintered floor. The wrinkled face pulled up into a sneer, and the butler's eyes seemed to pop out even more. "Just what are you talking about, whelp? What about the painting?"  
  
Elgereiz stole a look over at the mantle, and Rogerik could see a flinch just out of the corner of his eye, then heard a faint hiss. Shikyo... the cat had apparently seen the moving object, and his tail had puffed up to twice its normal size.  
  
There was no doubt about it; the little jumping figure in the painting Kuwabara. So that was what had happened to him. Rogerik inched closer to Shikyo and muttered a quick, "You hit him low," before feigning a look of innocence for the old man. He could feel the cat shift his weight on the floor, and started working away at the knot that tied his wrists behind his back. After a few seconds of total silence, the thief nodded towards the black cat demon and rolled out of the way, distracting Elgereiz long enough for Shikyo to transform into a small black kitten and escape from his shackles, then take his much larger panther-like shape.  
  
The teacher growled once, taking out the geezer in a single tackle, and Rogerik forced his arms apart, wincing as the fabric dug into his skin before ripping apart. Both of them free, he reached for the portrait on the wall, and was surprised to see the four-inch-tall Kuwabara grab onto one of his fingers as Rogerik touched the canvas surface. There was a blinding flash, in which Shikyo took the upper hand and knocked Elgereiz's feet out and let the butler topple through the hole in the floor, and the teen was sprawled out on the office floor. Kuwabara was a mess, blood stuck in his hair and splattered across his T-shirt, and mud smeared all over his clothes. Still he managed to stand up and talk.  
  
"So, did you get him?"  
  
"Eh, you mean Givanni? No, we were kind of... tied up, y'see."  
  
"Rogerik, now isn't the time for puns." The cat chastised the two teens and kicked at the door, almost collapsing on his bad leg and doing nothing against the wooden surface. With a sigh of defeat, Rogerik helped Kuwabara up, and the two of them managed to hack a leg off of Givanni's desk; the cat propped himself up against the crude crutch and pointed to the floor below.  
  
"If we want to get him, we might as well take the shortcut." Kuwabara nodded, about to jump through, but halted. "But what about Urameshi and the others? We just left them back there- aaaacccck!" There was a thud, and Rogerik leaned over to look through the hole.  
  
"You really shouldn't push people like tha- aaaagh!"  
  
Making sure noone would be coming through the door any time soon, Shikyo tossed the table leg down and, after changing back to the miniscule black kitten, jumped down after the students.  
  
Fire spewed from the tiny vial, and Suzuka dashed by the dragon on his over- sized motorcycle. Cecilia snarled and flicked her wrist, extinguishing the flames, and continued onwards.  
  
The hatchling had gone into a frenzy now, and instead of trying to force Hiei to move, she was curled up on his head, hissing viciously; the wind was whipping through the trees and her tiny white wings were folded up, her feathery mane whipping around in the breeze. Every now and again, a tiny spurt of flame would escape her lips and she would flare out her wings as if trying to make herself appear bigger.  
  
Yet, for all her anger and fear at the other creature, she had a little nagging thought in the back of her childish mind. This she-person... she seemed familiar somehow and that the dragon had known her before, yet didn't know how. There was no blue-haired woman in her memories (unless you counted the feminine-looking ice master), but the energy tugged and worried her.  
  
She was so close to figuring it out, but the memory kept eluding her... Hiei was her Ma... right? Who else was there?  
  
"Maaaa?" Again, Hiei was unresponsive, and the dragonling nervously nudged his forehead with her muzzle, her snout rubbing against the rough fabric that was shaded by his bangs. She let loose a startled squeal as light emitted from the demon's forehead. Now this... this seemed familiar, Hiei's third eye.  
  
A shadow fell over the pair and the sound of yells and motors and tearing wind faded away. Blue eyes wide, the hatchling looked up into the clouded eyes of the attacker, and the eye on Hiei's forehead glowed even brighter.  
  
It was as if she could see the scenes playing in the woman's head, and before she knew it, she was torn from her body and pitched into the endless void of a thousand scarring memories.  
  
Paintings and portraits flew by as the trio ran down the carpet-lined hallway. How long they had been running was unknown, but all three were painstakingly aware of the sun peering through the tall windows; it would be cleaner in the end if none of the students witnessed this.  
  
Givanni wasn't too far ahead, but they were still dragged down by the exhausted Kuwabara and limping Shikyo. To tell the truth, Rogerik was impressed that either one of them was able to run with their injuries – one, a broken paw and the other, blood loss – and even a little short of amazed that they were gaining on the headmaster.  
  
Well, wonders never ceased around here.  
  
He skidded to a stop, nearly falling onto his rear, as the hall ended in a cross roads. Kuwabara hadn't been as lucky and had fallen after grabbing at the wall for a handhold, while the cat demon had merely dropped to one knee, hissing at the throbbing pain in his right foot. The thief's worries, though, were a little more than physical pain. Three doors, which to choose..?  
  
Shikyo stood up and leaned against the wall, his dark eyes half shut. "Think maybe we should split up, or stay together?"  
  
"There's no way we can split up, since you're all hurt and stuff." Kuwabara, too tired to stand up, was sitting on the floor, staring up at the identical doors. The cat demon made a half-hearted hiss and slumped down on the floor, trying to put as little strain on his leg as possible. "You're not much better, you know..."  
  
"Yeah, but I don't walk like a gimp." The teenager grinned, and both of his other companions shook their heads in disbelief of Kuwabara's misplaced humor.  
  
"Let's just do this the old fashioned way-"  
  
"Rock, paper, scissors." It was said so suddenly that Rogerik had to give himself a moment to think. "Why rock, paper, scissors?"  
  
"Winner chooses which door we go through." The red head made a feeble fist and grinned, ignoring Shikyo's loathsome glare.  
  
"I can sense my impending death already," Shikyo crossly muttered, remembering his total incompetence at the game. Rogerik shrugged and made a fist as well.  
  
"Fine, on three... one, two, three..!"  
  
Two rocks and a paper.  
  
"Yes! I win!" Kuwabara pumped his fist into the air and jumped to his feet, already trying to decide which door to go through.  
  
"I thought that the thrill of 'Rock, paper, scissors' would wear off after over a thousand consecutive wins..." The thief looked at his own hand in distaste and gave Shikyo a shrug, which the cat returned.  
  
"Simple pleasures and all that, I guess." Both of them started as Kuwabara blatantly yelled, "That one!" He was pointing to the one on the right and Rogerik clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Cool. Knew that Sixth Sense would come in helpful someday." The thief threw open the door, stepping away from the doorway in case any unpleasant surprises were in store for them. Since the coast was clear, he nodded to the other two and they continued their mad dash down the halls, hoping the headmaster hadn't gained too much ground.  
  
Another set of double doors, which were thrown open, and the three of them emerged into the pale morning sunlight. It was a garden, filled with large flowers that rose over their heads and filled the air with a pungent perfume. They wandered away from the door, and the taller human let his spirit sword flare to life in his hands as the flowers towered above them.  
  
"I must admit, I'm impressed you made it here so soon." The headmaster's voice seemed to come from their left, and Kuwabara thrust his energy blade into the thin green stalks.  
  
"Ah, you missed there, my boy. Try over... here." Givanni's voice seemed to move from their right over to behind them, but there was no rustling of flower stalks. Kuwabara seemed not to notice, though, as he sliced through anyways, toppling a couple dozen flower heads.  
  
"Dammit! Givanni, you spineless bastard! Come out and fight!"  
  
"Kuwabara, leave it. Something isn't right here..." Shikyo tried to place a hand on the human's shoulder, but it was shrugged off.  
  
"Hey, he stuck me in a painting, and no one does that to Kazuma Kuwabara!"  
  
"Well of course no one does; it bends the laws of physics." Rogerik hastily stepped out of the way of Kuwabara's sword and cringed at Shikyo's stern look (a.k.a: the patented "teacher glare")  
  
"Who here is gonna stop me from wanting a fair fight? You're all as peeved as I am, admit it!"  
  
Well, Kuwabara did have a point there, but...  
  
"Ah, but they're just as spineless as I am, aren't they Kazuma-san?" Givanni again, this time coming from... all around? What in hell was going on here?  
  
"Shut up! No one but Yukina-chan and my sister can call me by that name, dammit!" Another furious horizontal slash, and more flowers fell. Still, there was no movement from among them.  
  
"Oh, you mean Shizuru-san? Yes, I know you're confused now, but believe me, big sister won't be any help... she's just as clueless about this as you are."  
  
This time, Kuwabara was too upset to even speak, and Rogerik could relate; bringing family, especially the only family Kuwabara was close to, was below the belt. With a roar, Kuwabara thrusted his spirit sword into the flowers, and yanked out whatever had managed to have speared on the end.  
  
It was Givanni. Well, at least alike to the headmaster, considering the identical double was smiling, despite the orange blade of energy stabbed into his gut, and no blood flowed from the wound. With a chesire-cat grin, the headmaster calmly said, "Ow."  
  
Ow - that was it; no dramatic ending speech, no bloodcurdling scream of pain, not even so much as watering eyes – just... ow.  
  
"Nice show, Kazuma-san! Very nice! You have gotten better, but I digress..." Three heads turned up towards the infuriatingly cheerful voice, and Rogerik's mouth hung open. How long had he been watching them? And the other Givanni, the one hanging from the end of Kuwabara's sword..? Turning back, the thief watched in shock as the smiling double seemed to flatten out and shrink, eventually falling to the ground as nothing more than an embossed photograph. This mind-game in the garden, had it been an illusion?  
  
The headmaster was standing on a high-up balcony, next to a rather strange looking mesh of gears, metal, and gray flesh; whatever it was, it had large sweeping wings and could, obviously, fly.  
  
"I doubt you could stop me, boys. You saw my photogenic doppleganger, and all I need is a mere sketch to bring out a monster fully capable of serving me your heads on a platter."  
  
There was no answer from the two students and teacher, and the headmaster beamed. "A rather hopeless cause, indeed; and if you manage to escape, I fear my alibi won't convince Koenma. By delivering the dragon to me, you've sped up my entire little scheme by a number of years. Can you really blame me for being so ecstatic?"  
  
At this, Shikyo muttered, flatly, "No... I guess not."  
  
The fog was clearing, and she could sense something wrong with the world below. Her body, it was missing, and the hatchling... gone. Wherever she was, it was beyond her reach, and this angered her beyond anything else she had known. Her ki tearing across the sky in blinding flashes of lightning, she searched down below for a proper vessel.  
  
The soft purple light drew her down, much like the glow that had lured her away from her watch post to begin with, and she slowly descended. They were no doubt aware of her, not that she cared, but someone had to do away with that imposter - her life hung in the balance. His body gave no resistance as she slipped inside, her mind reeling at the sudden overcharge of information.  
  
The color..! It was as if she had suddenly regained a part of herself, a part of her being, as crimson eyes scanned her surroundings. Ah, there... there was her little one, her lifeblood; and there was the vile creature that claimed to be her. Why were the others staring like that? Didn't they have the brains to figure out that the little one was in danger of a fate worse than simple death?  
  
How dare that cheap fake try to force her flesh and blood to take in those memories, those disgusting, vile, retched thoughts and nightmares? Her blood boiled at the thought, and she found the fire youkai's body quite adept when it came to battle. Not a second after dreaming of decapitating the body that used to belong to her, she found herself glaring at the imposter in the face and thrusting a blade of steel through its gut. With a feral twist and snarl, she leapt away and caught the tiny white dragon, gentle for her fragile wings and slim neck.  
  
This... this was unmistakably the child worth waiting centuries to see, and as the calloused hands of the body she had borrowed brought the hatchling up to her chest, she allowed few words to escape her before she left along with her real body.  
  
"Ma...ra... my little Mara, be good..."  
  
She was suddenly in the air above the purple house, saw the stirring forms in one of the second-floor bedrooms and the inventor's open-mouthed stare at what had just happened. This would be a night to remember, but...  
  
'My little one, my sweet daughter, Mara... try not to remember tonight, please...'  
  
He had been in the middle of one of his trademark carefree laughs when the sensation hit him. Cecilia... she had perished just now; there was no mistaking it, since the familiar throb of stolen energy had ceased. With her gone to protect him as his shield, what was there left for him here?  
  
Well, he might as well enjoy a game of chase before he gave in.  
  
"It seems my time has grown dim, my friends. Look me up during the summer, hm? Bermuda sounds quite nice, actually..." The mechanical bird monster lowered a wing, which he stepped on, and lifted him to its skeletal back. While the humans and neko down below were busy playing with his photo doppelgangers, it would be easier to just leave now.  
  
"Argh! HEY, YOU! Get the HELL DOWN HERE!" Kuwabara's yell of fury was unlike any he had heard before, but he merely waved it off and settled between the clockwork monster's spinal bones, careful to stay out of the way of its fragile wings.  
  
'Sayonara... I must find myself a sunrise to ride off into...'  
  
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Ne, again, sorry it took a while to put up... but next chapter shall probably be the last (besides outtakes and such). Also, you are allowed to question the characters...  
  
Okay, I'll admit, I need a break, and that's final. ;;  
  
Next chapter!  
  
What will become of Mara-chan?  
  
Finals? Oi...  
  
Lark wakes up... Lark has PMS... Lark goes off on Rogerik for not taking Lark with him. ;;  
  
Family time! But wait'll you meet Holly's sibling and grandmother... x.X  
  
And "Shikyo 'da Gimp"! Uh... errr... ::dodges Shik-san's dirty look:: or not... 


	43. School days, schooldays

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Last chapter, and I still need to type that... ;;

Quote of the week: "This is not a novel to be taken lightly... It is a book to be thrown with much force." –unknown (but how true is that?)

Alrighty-o! First thing, there's some news here on good Ol' that might surprise you:

A group of writers are trying to delete all script-style fics on the entire website. They call themselves "The Alliance" and have been sending warning e-mails to various writers for about a month now, claiming that "The End" is near. Also, they are calling this little hissy-fit of theirs "The Revolution" and have enlisted a hacker to help them ban writers they dislike from 

A recent friend of mine, Lumina Kitsune, is looking for anyone that can help, so if you want to aid in keeping this site a place where free speech (i.e. FANFICTIONS) is respected, please e-mail her. She may be upset about the deletion of her first fanfic, but she's willing to do the best she can for her cause, and I doubt anyone reading this would say no to her effort.

A warning, however, to any of you who may try to get revenge from the boy that started this all, GTAJake MK-II ( I must give him at least a smidgen of credit, as he is not trying to hide himself or his contact addresses). He will track you down and flame you, try to ban you, and overall make your stay on this site a living hell. I hate to say this, but unless you don't have much (or anything) to lose, I would take caution when participating in this temper tantrum-gone-mad; him and his friends have absolutely no tolerance for those who dare show imagination. You can tell by the fact that he refuses to post anything under his penname.

::coughs:: Anywho, if you want to stay unscathed from all this, hide your IM addresses and E-mail address from him, and look up Lumina Kitsune if you want to post script-style fics. She is working on a new site, and I would publicly give the address, but it might be found out and the site forcibly corrupted by the means of hackers.

Now, I can understand that those boys may be upset about the removal of their favorite NC-17 fics on this site, but I really must stop rambling on about this and get to the chapter, musn't I? Contact me if you want to talk about this more.

I apologize for starting this chapter on such an upsetting and sad note. Truly, I am. But, I fear that if this doesn't just blow over entirely, it may go to the exact opposite extreme and more and more limitations will be placed upon just what we may post up here.

Anywho, a recap of last chappie! As we've known (since chapter 41), Givanni was behind all of this, and used the dead body of Cecilia as a puppet. The real Cecilia momentarily revived herself and possessed Hiei's body in order to save her daughter, and in the process gave the hatchling a name: Mara. Meanwhile, Rogerik, Shikyo, and Kuwabara went after Givanni, only to have him escape from under their noses (not that they're bitter about it... oh no...). Things have been mostly set to right at the academy, except the lack of a new headmaster and a definite date for final tests; still Givanni is out there, and may cause serious problems in the future if not stopped soon. What is to become of the tantei and others?

Author's note: This chapter is brought to you by Happy Bunny Spaz juice. You keep going, and going, and going, and going...

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It was over now... right?  
  
As Rogerik wearily trudged back up the drive to the dorm, his head was going into overload. So tired, he had been, that his eyes were half-shut and Kuwabara had to support the thief almost the entire way back.

It was amazing how such a purple house could feel like home.

With a groan, the thief fumbled with the front door, not quite able to fit the key into the keyhole; after staring for a good minute or so, an idea struck and the lock tumbler clicked into place as the door swung inwards to the quiet house. PK was indeed handy...

"Hey, anyone alive?" Kuwabara entered behind him, leaving the door wide open in his wake, and was greeted by the overly enthusiastic Bones. Skeletal paws clacking on the hardwood floor of the entrance hall, the dog whipped his tail through the air and frantically tried to get the teenager to pet him, by nudging his hand with the top of his skull. Kuwabara managed a weak smile, and gave the dog a good rub on the head, then strode upstairs. He was barely halfway up when the black-haired Lark appeared at the top of the steps, her stormy eyes somewhere between angry and joyful.

"Where did you go? What happened? Who did this to you?" She ran down the steps, shoving Kuwabara out of the way as she did so, and grabbed Rogerik by the shoulder, almost drawing her hand back as she felt the sticky, matted bloodstain on his shirt. The thief just gaped, too exhausted to answer her; but, then, her voice rising even higher, the water manipulator spat out, "And why didn't you wake me up?"

With a grimace, Kuwabara left the thief to deal with Lark and snuck up the stairs. He shoved open his bedroom door, and, ignoring the stares of Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama, flopped facedown on his bed.

He was asleep in seconds.

Seemingly frail and weak in his arms, the dragonling sneezed once before twisting her long neck in another spine-snapping position and drifting back to sleep. She had been through so much already...

And he had sat there, unconscious, unmoving - helpless. He hated himself for it.

But something, some divine force, had interfered, now, instead of joining that wretched she-dragon in eternal slumber, he was sitting on his own bed and caring for the young creature that had labeled him mother. Even though he was sure he had blacked out then, faint recollections of the night before continued to drift through his memories, sadly out of order. Whatever it was that had taken over his body, it had obviously vanished along with Cecilia, and had left something behind.

Now what was it? A calloused hand gently rubbed the hatchling behind one of her fin-like ears, and a word popped into his head. "Mara... that's it. Your name..." It fit, he had to admit that, at least, and saved him the trouble of searching for one.

Mara yawned at the mention of her name and nudged her muzzle against Hiei's wrist, then her head drooped and all that could be heard were quiet snoring noises,

Yes, it did suit her...

The next few days were surprisingly normal, and the fact that Givanni had disappeared over the night had been explained by a sudden, unexplainable bout of blood poisoning that had sent the headmaster to a hospital on another island in the barrier world, and, since it didn't look like he would be getting better, Koenma had been forced to remove the headmaster from his employ. Nothing was mentioned about the destruction of the front lobby, and classes went on as scheduled. It wasn't until between classes, when the majority of students were studying, that Shikyo had halted Lyra, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Lark on their way to the school library.

The cat's foot had pretty much healed completely, thanks to the physick that had been forced down his throat by the academy nurse (she had given it to him based on Erica's suggestion) and the herb salve sent to him from an anonymous sender; however, when he had hobbled to the door the day it had been dropped off, he was sure he had seen a flash of tawny gold dashing away, and the handwriting was familiar enough for him to piece together who had sent it, although he preferred to keep his suspicions to himself. Shikyo might have been devoid of much of his usual grace, since he still limped slightly, but had managed to surprise the group nonetheless.

He had walked on by, sent a flashing grin their way, and a letter was tucked into Kuwabara's jacket pocket. Before the teen could ask anything, the teacher had vanished down the hallway.

"Well, is this about earlier on... y'know, the night you guys DIDN'T want me around?" Lark had spat it out as soon as they were through the library doors, and ignored the librarian's dirty glare, tossing her bag on one of the tables with as loud a thunk as she could manage. Kurama and Lyra sweatdropped, sensing the incoming bad mood that had always surrounded the younger girl when anyone dared bring up the subject; trying to cut off her sister, Lyra calmly said, "I wanted you to help out, but it was too dangerous for you..."

"Oh, of course... I just can't take care of myself, or even help protect my own house; I'm just too fragile, is that it?"

"Lark, maybe you're missing the point..." Kurama knew it was a bad idea to get involved, but, to put it frankly, he was rather tired of stepping on eggshells whenever he was around Lark. He, however, hadn't expected her to go off on him quite like she did.

"No, no, I get the point just fine. It couldn't escape me even if I was asleep. You just didn't think I was up for it. Well, that's just fine!"

"Please, I – we - were just worried about you." Lyra put a hand on her sister's shoulder, but it was shrugged off as Lark got her bag and stormed out of the library, her cheeks flushed and hair flying behind her. Lyra gave an apologetic look to Kurama and Kuwabara, whispering, "Tell me about it later," before following her sister out the door.

Both boys shared a confused look, then Kuwabara shrugged and slit open the plain envelope. The letter was written in tiny cursive letters, and Kuwabara had to squint to make out the writing.

"I want to thank you for helping out as much as you did, and I'm sorry to admit that Givanni managed to get away like that... all our effort wasn't put to waste, since Koenma managed to get a bit of a lead on him... I hope he is found during the summer, and good luck on your finals." Kuwabara's voice died as he continued to read silently – obviously it didn't concern the fox, and the teen wasn't opting to share his opinion. They were silent for a minute or two, until Kuwabara tapped Kurama on the shoulder, distracting the redhead from his notes.

"Hey, Kurama, you have any clue who's gonna replace Givanni?"

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"I heard a replacement's been found, and that we know them." Kurama let his mind wander to all his past adventures and allies, and suppressed a small shiver. "Personally, I don't think I want to know..."

With a sigh, Yusuke tossed his pencil down and leaned back, staring at the sizable stack of papers in front of him. Last day of the finals, and this was his absolute last test, too. In just a little under four days, he would be back home, and, if he survived Keiko's painful lecture, the arcade would once again be his castle.

Maybe it was too much to ask, but if he managed to get a fairly good score on the finals, that would be one less thing for Keiko to give him a sermon about.

Ryo walked by, cheerful as ever, and took the test paper from the spirit detective's desk. As soon as it touched the elf's fingers, the sheet of paper made a 'bwink'-ing noise and disappeared, only to reappear on Ryo's desk. Yusuke glanced across the room at the clock, and shared a quick thumbs-up with Lyonell, who had been one of the first students to finish. Perhaps studying with Chrysanthemum had its perks...

The bell rang, and the speed of scribbling hastened as a few slower students hurried to finish up their Latin tests. Yusuke got his bag from beside his desk, slung the strap over his shoulder, and waited for his friends outside the room.

Rogerik was first to come out, hands crammed in his jacket pockets and totally unaware of the world; the thief hadn't been his usual easy-going self lately, and Yusuke suspected it was because of the end of the school year. Not that he had any right to butt into Rogerik's business, but life had pretty miserable before the tantei had come, or so he heard. Not far behind were Lyonell and Justin, and both were talking rather animatedly as they exited the room. Yusuke caught snatches of what seemed to be plans for the summer, but stayed silent as the four of them strode out of the tower and down towards the academy cafeteria.

Kurama, Holly, Kuwabara, Jin, Hiei, and Chrysanthemum, were crowded around their usual picnic table, although Holly and Chrysanthemum were seated under the maple tree that shaded the table, comparing notes. Kyuro, as expected, wasn't far away, and sat in his mistress' lap, batting at the feathery decoration on her pencil.

"Oi, Urameshi, join on in!" Jin sat indian-style in the air, a stolen handful of French fries (from Kurama's plate) in hand. The fox seemed to take no notice of his stolen lunch, and was staring at the cloud-filled sky instead.

"Hey, where're Lark and Lyra?" Justin plopped down next to Kuwabara and, taking advantage of Kurama's sudden lack of appetite, pilfered an oatmeal-raisin cookie. Kuwabara sneezed, and muttered, "Ran off somewhere. Lark was in a pretty bad mood... she's still angry at us." The carrot-top looked over at Rogerik, and said, "Hey, why don't you go say you're sorry?"

This snapped Rogerik out of it, and the psychic looked at his table of friends wildly. "Me? What did I do?"

"Yeah, what did he do?" Chrysanthemum turned away from her notes long enough to include herself in the conversation, despite the dirty glare Rogerik provided her. It was Kyuro who answered, totally cutting the thief off.

"Inferiority complex... Lark seems to think that they think she can't take care of herself. Lyra, as the big sister she is, decided to help out, only making things worse, and Lark ran off. She's around campus, though, so don't worry."

Everyone merely stared at the familiar (except for Kurama, who was still off in a daze), and the cat stared back. "What? What are you looking at me for?"

Lyonell, clearly surprised, asked, "How did you know that?"

"Oh, that! Well," Kyuro nodded his fuzzy head and lifted a paw onto Holly's notebook. "I happen to have been serving a number of teenage girls for a good span of my lifetime; nothing changes in a couple of centuries, actually. I remember this same predicament occurring at least four times in the last sixty years..."

More stupefied silence.

"What?! Geez, you guys think these types of things change over a couple of generations... guess again - ow!" The familiar ducked his head down, meowing in complaint even though Holly's hand never reached its target. "Am I really that predictable?"

"Well, I was able to dodge that..."

"No, not that!" The witch sighed and rubbed her temples, and, before Kyuro could lodge a complaint, shoved the cat out of her lap. "Kyuro, go help Rogerik, okay?"

"Wha-why me? I didn't do anythi-"

"You, quiet. Kyuro, go now. Before I reach three." She pointed at the thief, glaring at her familiar, and the cat meekly complied. He leaped onto Rogerik's shoulder and whispered something into the thief's ear; whatever the black kitten had said, it almost made the blond psychic blush, and they left hurridly.

"Holly, wasn't that a bit harsh..?" Lyonell watched the pair leave and sweatdropped, a forced smile on his face. The witch shrugged and shook her head.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think he'd listen."

"Stupid Kurama... stupid Lyra... stupid finals..." Lark walked down the brick pathway, unaware as students went out of their way to get out of her stormy aura. She had been walking like this, cursing everything to stupidity, for nearly fifteen minutes. Already, she had cursed most things, some twice, and was working down the list towards random things that had nothing to do with what had happened a week earlier. Mentally drained, she wandered off the path and sat down on a tree branch that bent down horizontally at waist-height.

Everyone else was happy and glad school was almost over... why wasn't she?

There was a set of footsteps behind her and the raven-haired girl stiffened. Hadn't Lyra given up by now? Forming an orb of water in one hand, she tensed her arm, read to douse whoever was sneaking up behind her. A hand touched her shoulder, barely, and she let loose her attack, screeching as she did so.

"Ky-yaah!"

"Agh! H-hey! Stop! That's cold!" Rogerik flung his arms up, half trying to block the water, half-attempting to pry the bristling Kyuro from around his neck; those little claws were sharp.

The stream of water died down immediately, and Lark stared at Rogerik, her eyes wide and strangely void of emotion. "What are you doing here?"

"Eh?"

"You, Rogerik, what are you following me around for?" She pointed a finger at him and, her stupor fading away to suspicion, asked, "Did my sister put you up to this?"

"Wha – no! No! I just, er..." With a grimace, the psychic managed to pull of Kyuro and gently tossed the cat to the ground. "I just wanted to apologize... I know you wanted to help and all, and you're upset about us letting you sleep it through..."

"Oh, it's no problem at all."

"Yeah, but... hm? What? No...problem?" How come he had the feeling that he had been toyed with? Maybe it was Lark's unnerving smile? Yeah... that could do it.

"You guys were probably right; and Lyra would have hated herself if I got hurt. I was a liability."

"...you've been faking your depression?" Well, this was certainly a more mature and modest side of Lark than he had ever seen; where was the loud, egotistical Admarant sister he had lived with for the last year or so? Lark just gave him a look, looping her thumbs through the belt loops on her skirt, and shrugged. "I'm an actress; it comes naturally." She straightened up and got her bag, intent on walking out.

"Oh," she turned back for a moment, a smile on her lips, and added, "And so does this."

Before he knew what was happening, she had leaned forwards and planted a small, nearly nonexistent, kiss on his cheek, before laughing and running away.

He didn't dare move, as time had came to a standstill for him. Then, with a slight blush, he touched his cheek and smiled.

"Well, that's the last box." Holly dusted her hands off and picked up the cardboard box on the bedroom floor, dropping it with a dull thud on the desk. Kyuro jumped at the vibration and blearily blinked his green eyes; with a yawn, he stretched out his front paws and stood up on the tips of his toes. "So, you're done already?"

"Yep. We can leave for home by tomorrow morning." The witch sat back down on the bare mattress and picked up her broomstick, polishing it with an unpacked pillowcase. Kyuro leaped from the desk to the bed, and curled up by Holly's side. "Aren't we going with Gram and Victoria?"

"Actually, I sent a letter a few days ago and told them that I would make this year's return trip on my own." The redhead made a quick inspection of the handle, and meticulously rubbed out a skid mark. Kyuro looked up at his companion's polishing job and nodded. "Well, that's nice. A little peace and quiet would be good, especially after tonight."

"Yep. I also invited Jin home with us for the summer."

"Oh, that's good... Er, whaaaaat?!" The black cat was on his feet in a second, roughly shaken out of his relaxed mood. He bared his teeth, ebony fur bristling, but the witch had already left the room, no doubt holding back her laughter.

The sun was a deep golden yellow, and he almost didn't make out the young woman standing in front of the Main Office because of the color of her dress, which was a deep goldenrod. She was quite pretty, with glossy red-brown hair that reached her slim shoulders in a wavy cascade, and light skin with dashing green eyes framed by long lashes. She stood in the middle of the pathway, a confused look on her face, and continually plucked at the cuff sleeve of her long dress. Such a beautiful young woman, and no doubt lost; why, he suspected she was probably a relative of one of the students – she looked oddly familiar.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you lost?" Shikyo asked, bowing his head in hello to the young woman, who looked flustered at his sudden arrival. She turned to face him, and he was struck by how much she resembled a friend of one of his students. This woman, she looked almost exactly like Holly, only older by about seven years and more mature.

"Oh, actually, I am. I was looking for my little sister's dorm, but, although I've been here before, it seems that I can't find it." She inclined her head at the cat demon and gently smiled.

"Well, if you can tell me your sister's name, I might be able to help you."

"Oh, I'm looking for Holly Landon." Well, that justified his suspicions, but he'd never once heard the wind witch mention anything about any siblings – never mind an older sister. With a beaming grin that showed off his white teeth, the neko demon held out his elbow so as to escort Holly's sister, which she gracefully accepted. "Well, I was heading over there, myself; a co-worker of mine who lives there just got a promotion."

"Really? I was wondering, would you happen to know how Erika is doing? I haven't seen her for over a year."

"Ah, she's doing fine; she's really amazing, to tell you the truth. I'm impressed by her. By the by, I'm Shikyo, and you are..?"

"Victoria, Victoria Landon."

"Ah...this is certainly... festive." Kurama had the rising urge to rub his eyes, as the bright streamers and decorations were so colorful they were painful to look at. Erica was at the kitchen island, carefully closing the lid on a cake box, and gave the fox a warm look.

"Yes, well, it's because the school year is over. It wouldn't be right without some sort of party, would it?"

"I understand perfectly well, and it's a good idea." The kitsune gave one of his trademark smiles and sat down on the living room couch. "Ah, ano, Erika, is anyone else coming?"

"I am." Koryu stuck his head in through the window over the sink and nodded at the fox; the rodent-like creature had recovered marvelously, and was now sporting a bright magenta party hat on his jet-black head. From outside, his fins reflected the sunlight in a dazzling array of colors that rivaled the party decorations. Erika, her wrinkled face joyous, counted off the guests off her fingers.

"Well, there's Suzuka and Shishiwakamaru, Ryo, and Djornn, as well as Shikyo, and a few of graduating students wanted to say good bye before they left for the summer. Other than that, there's Yukimi and an old friend of mine." She took a minute, then cheerfully mentioned, "Well, that is a lot of people. Better bring out a second bottle of blueberry tonic; Kurama, would you be so kind as to get one from the freezer in the back of the greenhouse?"

"I'll get it." Before Kurama could get up, Koryu's head disappeared back outside, and the creature reappeared not a minute later with the soda bottle clenched in his jaws; he placed the bottle down in the sink and gently plucked a nectarine from the wire basket by the sink, then his four-eyed head once again slid out the window.

"Koryu, please don't ruin your dinner-ah!" The old woman nearly gave herself a papercut as the doorbell rang, and hurriedly placed the pastry box in the refrigerator. "Kurama, please go get that."

The fox got up and, as Jin retreated from his basement bedroom to check out what the commotion was, opened the door. Shikyo was standing outside with a rather pretty woman, who looked like Holly, on his arm. The cat nodded towards Kurama and asked, "This woman, Victoria, is looking for Holly, and I was on my way here, so I thought I'd escort her here..."

"Nice pick-up line, Shik." Jin quipped, currently flipping through a TV guide. Holly, just coming down the stairs, took one look at the woman in the door and her eyes widened.

"Oh, no..." The witch barely had time to react before her older sibling wrapped her in a rib-crushing hug. "Oh, my dear baby sister! Are you alright? You aren't de-flowered are you, living in this house full of young men?!"

Silence reigned for mentioned 'young men' and Holly furiously fought down her embarrassment while looking towards her familiar for help (and receiving none).

"No, I'm perfectly fine, brother."

More stares, and Erika hustled out of the room before she could be dragged into the situation. By now, the room was completely silent, and Shikyo had an awestruck look on his face that was somewhere between horror and total embarrassment. There was an echo of footsteps from the staircase, and Yusuke and Lark came into the living room, totally unaware of the current circumstances.

Upon seeing Victoria (if that was really his name...), Lark ran forwards and gave the cross-dresser a hug, despite his already backbreaking embrace of Holly.

"Victor! You came back!"

"Ah, Lark, love, have you girls been alright?"

"No, we're fine!" Lark beamed up at the older man, and the guys in the room sweatdropped (the exception being Shikyo, who was now looking a tad sick). Yusuke, totally lost, bent down to ask Jin, "Who is this lady?"

"Holly's brother," the windmaster replied, ears twitching as he watched Shikyo go from his normally pale skin color to a beet red. It wasn't hard to guess what the cat had been up to on the walk over, and then to have your desired date to out to be a man...

"...You're kidding me." The spirit detective took one long look at Holly's sibling, and his eyes widened.

"Ah, so you're Jin! Come over, darling, and give me a hug!" The feminine man swept his way towards Yusuke and Jin, ready to receive the windmaster in his arms. He had nearly cornered the demon when the door blew open, sending Shikyo toppling into the room, where the neko disappeared in a poof of smoke and a tiny black kitten landed nimbly on its paws.

The wind died down, and in the doorway stood an old woman, not much taller than the teenage girls, with flyaway gray hair that was held back by a red handkerchief and a pair of dusty goggles covering her eyes. She was wearing a leather pilot's jacket with a white cotton scarf, and a sleek-looking broom levitated behind her as she stepped into the room, her tan combat boots leaving imprints in the soft carpet.

"Holly, Victor, front and center, you two!"

"Oh, noooo..." Holly slumped in her brother's arms, and looked ready to die on the spot.

"I said... FRONT AND CENTER!" the old woman's aura blasted, and Erika suddenly popped her head in from the back door.

"Oh, Amelia! It's been a while. Would you like some coffee?"

It didn't take long for Erica, Victor (or Victoria, as he preferred to be called), and Amelia to settle down with some glasses of ice coffee, and Holly gloomily took place in the living room. The young wind witch kept a constant eye on her older brother and grandmother, and nervously rubbed Kyuro behind the ears; Shikyo was curled up on the top of Kurama's armchair, and the fox himself was seated in it and reading a book. Yusuke and Jin were on the couch, paying strict attention to the TV, and Lark and Lyra kept trying to snap Holly out of her sudden gloom.

"Well, when we heard Holly wanted to make the trip up, we were worried of course, isn't that right, dear sister?" Victoria smiled over at the witch from over his glass of iced coffee, and pulled a piece of paper from a pocket on Amelia's belt. "We wouldn't mind, but then we heard she was bringing a friend, and I must say that curiosity got the best of me."

"We couldn't just welcome him in with open arms without meeting him." Amelia continued where her grandson left off, and nodded her head. The old woman had removed her goggles and wind-resistant jacket, as well as the scarf, to reveal a wrinkled face with bright green eyes; her hair still had a touch of red, and she looked younger than Erica, whom she claimed was the same age as her. Looking over the livingroom full of students, she mildly asked, "So, which one of you is this Jin I've heard so much about, hm?"

Jin stiffened, then limply raised his hand, all while trying to make himself look smaller than he really was. Amelia peered over Yusuke's head, then leaned over to Victoria and the two started a whispered conversation - although it was still loud enough for the girls, who were sitting closest to them, to hear.

"Well, isn't he the good-looking one? Holly, tell me, how did you manage to talk him into coming?"

"Yes, little sister, and what's his sign?"

"Victor! Grandma!" Holly blushed beet red, and Lark and Lyra sweatdropped. The two older visitors could at least try to be a little less direct; from the way Jin's ears were flicking backwards, it wasn't too hard to tell that he was listening in.

Victoria and Amelia chuckled, and turned back to their coffee.

"Young love... how sweet!" Victoria sang out, making both Holly and Jin hunch down in their seats; the windmaster's ears were turning red, and Holly was hiding her face in her knees. Amelia took a slow sip of her drink and smiled at Erika. "Ah, I remember what it was like back then. Don't you, Erika?"

"You mean Meisei, right? He was a handsome one, although he didn't give a fig about us... you were always skipping class on that broom of yours, and I was too busy trying to cover up for you."

"Those were the good old days, though... time flies so quickly. And to think that the next generation is almost ready to take over..."

"Frankly, when I see these kids, I can't help but wonder if the world is doomed." The voice came from the front door, and everyone looked over in time to see Rachel step in, a heavy bag slung over her shoulder. The teacher took one look at the streamers and decorations, then stared at Erika.

"What is all this for? We're leaving tomorrow..."

The older woman beamed and got up, pulling the string on a little part-popper. "Congratulations on you promotion!"

"Wha? When did Rachel get promoted?" Yusuke twisted his head back, trying to see the older women from the couch. Erika, her face showing nothing short of delight, chirruped, "Rachel's going to be the resident headmistress, starting next school year!"

Dead silence filled the room, even more so than when Holly's relatives had made their grand entrance.

"Mooooove your ass outta bed! C'mon, you lazy bum! Moooooooove our ass outta bed! C'mon you lazy bu-"

For probably the hundredth time since their arrival, the clock was pitched out the window by the irate fire demon. And, again, for the hundredth time, refused to crack or shatter.

"Kuwabara, didn't you pack that away?" Yusuke groaned and sat up, blinking his eyes from the harsh sunlight.

"I dunno... I don't remember..." The reply came from somewhere over to his left, and the spirit detective suddenly remembered the night before.

They had partied till well past the sun had set, and the last time he recalled looking at a clock (which had been hours before he passed out on his bed upstairs), it had read 1 AM. Almost all his teachers had shown up, and so had a few friends of the girls ( a couple of graduates had appeared on their doorstep wishing good luck for the summer. Yusuke had a feeling he'd seen them before during vacation... it wasn't that hard to forget a girl with a horn and hooves, or one who had wings and a tail.).

All had been going well, actually, before Victoria had decided to liven up the party... and then came the spiked drinks... the jimson weed... and the closet...

Oh, wait, wrong party.

Well, anyways, it had been quite a bash (even without the alcohol), and now here he was, waking up at ten in the morning when the bus home left at eleven.

That was right... their ride came at eleven... and he wasn't done packing... or even dressed, for that matter...

"Crap! Hey, Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara! We have to-"

"Get ready?" The fox poked his head in through the door and waved good morning. "Don't worry, Yusuke. I already brought your bags downstairs, swept, and set you out some clothes."

Yusuke looked over to the side table by his bed, where a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans were laid out. "Wow, Kurama, what would I do without you?"

"It's no problem, really." Kurama disappeared from the door. "I wouldn't want to be in your place, though."

It took a minute to sink in, and Yusuke, trying to pull on his jeans and shirt at the same time, fell over with a crash. "Kuso! Keiko's going to kill me!"

"Didn't you call her last night?" Lark's voice floated up from the living room, and Yusuke managed to get dressed before answering. "Well, there wasn't much of an opportunity!" He ran downstairs, trying to shove the hair out of his face, then looked around the living room.

"Hey, where's Jin and Holly..? Or that cross dresser and the hag?"

Rogerik looked up from the newspaper that was spread across the kitchen island and shrugged, then went back to reading. "They left last night... after you passed out. Quiet, though, isn't it, without them?"

"I almost miss Kyuro... damn annoying furball he was." Koryu slipped his head through the kitchen window, and nodded his good morning. Seeing someone behind the spirit detective (who was wondering just when the rodent had gotten the guts to invite itself back into the house) , Koryu's four eyes widened, and the black creature called out, "Lyra-san, must you really go? I'll be left here all by myself, with no one but those infernal sparrows for company!"

"Sparrows? When was there more than one, around here?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow, but was ignored by Koryu. Looking back, he noticed Lyra lugging a large backpack down the stairs.

"Hey, don't you live here?"

"Yes, I do stay over the summer, but my sister and I were invited to Yukimi's for the week. Most of the students are going home, and she wanted some help cleaning the fishpond in her backyard. It's become a bit... overgrown."

"If you call giant goldfish with tusks and five-legged newts just 'overgrown'." Lark came down the steps with an equally large bag. From the kitchen island, Rogerik seemed to turn a bit red, looking at Lark, and slunk away with the excuse of "I need to go get my bags."

Yusuke's brown eyes widened and he pointed at the thief's retreating back. "Lark, what did you do to him? He's been like that ever since yesterday at lunch."

"Not telling, so Nyah!" the younger girl stuck out her tongue at Yusuke, and jumped when a blaring honk came from out front. "Kami... what was that?"

Lyra looked out the front window and called back, "It looks like a hummer... and there's an oni in the driver's seat."

There was another honk, Lyra said, "The oni got out, and he's waving a sign that reads: Get out here now, or Koenma will kill me for being late."

Yusuke peered over Lyra's shoulder, and slumped. "He's early... Koenma must've changed the schedule again."

Kurama hefted the heavy bag and tossed it lightly into the hummer's large trunk. In truth, he had been expecting Koenma to call them back earlier than planned; Givanni was on the loose, and it was most likely going to be their duty during the summer to track the headmaster down.

"Hey, Kurama, take a break; I'll get the rest!" Kuwabara staggered forwards, burdened by the suitcases that he had balanced on his shoulders. Kurama saw the inevitable - that his friend was going to hurt himself yet again - and stepped forwards to help. Someone else, however, had gotten there first.

One of the suitcases was lifted off the carrot-top's shoulders, and neatly thrown into the hummer trunk, where it landed on top of a stack of other bags. The savior was a young boy, not much older than Yusuke, with orange hair and red eyes, was standing next to Kuwabara, a sneer on his face.

"Well, are you just going to stare like some retarded goldfish?"

"Ayame, what are you doing here?! ... and why are you helping me?" Kuwabara backed away from the demon, and hastily held the suitcase up like a shield, lest Ayame (who had a strange disliking for humans) try anything.

"I heard you chased out the guy who sent that soul-sucking monster into town."

"Well, not really, but..." the tall boy cringed, not quite sure what to say. With his sadistic personality, Ayame, he was sure, was probably upset to see such a miserable thing like Cecilia's possessed corpse disappear. Not a good idea to get on the fire demon's bad side, but at least he was leaving in a matter of minutes.

"Yeah, well, I guess you aren't really that bad, to do something like that..." So, Ayame was trying to apologize for his hatred of humans? Or perhaps Kuwabara had been accepted by the demon? Either way, Kurama recognized the young youkai as non-threatening and slipped away without being noticed. There was something he had to see to...

And there she was, helping Yusuke bring out the old bed sheets from his room. With a sort of quiet voice, the fox waved them over. "Lyra, can we talk for a bit?"

The water manipulator looked confused, but handed her pile of sheets to the spirit detective (who winked and gave the fox a thumbs-up) and came over. "What is it, Kurama?"

"Ah, well..." Now what to say? Claim he was lost for words and let the chance slip by, only to have the entire summer come between them? Fake a request? "I, erm, wanted to say good-bye, but..."

Stupidity strikes again.

Lyra, however, seemed to guess his dilemma, and warmly smiled. "You wanted to say good bye while the others were out of the way?"

The fox's green eyes widened, and he laughed out loud. She had hit it on the nail, and , as he watched her smile, he sighed in frustration. "Yes, that was it... but, I also wanted to give you my number so you could call me during the summer." He searched his pants pocket for a pen, and pulled one out. Now for paper...

His search proved fruitless, but Lyra held out her hand, palm up, in front of the fox. "Don't worry, I won't wash it off until I write it down."

"Oh, thanks." He gently wrote the number on her palm, and looked up, her dark blue eyes staring into his. Everything else seemed to halt, and they drew a little closer, Lyra closing her eyes.

Still closer...

"Heya!"

Lark's chipper attitude totally broke the moment, and the fox and girl broke away, Lyra trying to hide her blush from her sister. The younger girl seemed not to notice this, though, and looked over at the hummer.

"You know, you better go soon... Jorge looks like he's about to have a heart attack..."

Looking over, the kitsune saw that Lark was, indeed, right. Jorge's blue face had turned red, and he was furiously watching as the three other tantei idled near the hummer. Koenma had to have been on a short fuse for the pressure to have such an affect on Jorge.

"Ah, yes, I better... You two have a good summer; call me if you get the chance."

"Kay! Bye Kurama!" Lark waved the fox off, then glanced back at her sister, who was making a slow retreat to the dorm. "Lyra, what's wrong? Did I do something?" She halted, and the past two minutes replayed in her head. Something clicked, and her storm-gray eyes widened. "Oh... ohhh! Lyra? Lyra, I'm really sorry! Hey, I am! Come on!"

"Hey, Kurama, what's with you?" Yusuke poked the redhead in the shoulder, and, receiving no response, instantly assumed the worst. "Sorry that she turned you down, man... but, there's plenty of other girls out there; there was a girl back at the academy who liked you, right? Helen, was it?"

Still no response, although Kurama stiffened a little at the girl's name. The spirit detective shrugged and leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet up on the headrest of the seat in front of him, and turned the volume on his CD player up to the max. "Well, either way, be happy you don't have some girl like Keiko hanging around... always spouting off lectures, and slapping me around... sheesh. Believe me, these few months were a vacation compared to school back home."

"Yusuke, shut up." Hiei glowered at the scenery outside, immune to the choke-hold grip Mara had on his neck. His red eyes were narrowed, and Kurama secretly guessed that the Jaganshi disliked leaving as much as he did.

"He ain't gonna listen. Hey, let's play something! I spy with my little eye..."

And so it began... all over again. (Kuwabara en Flambé, included)

Salvatore perked up as the door creaked open, and hopped over to the side of his white wire cage. His black eyes were bright, and he cheerfully greeted his owner, who entered without her usual enthusiasm and collapsed on her bad, facedown.

Well, something had gone wrong for her... it was only right he should try and lighten her mood. With a determined look, the lovebird crawled up to the highest perch in his cage and started to sing.

Well, to him, it was a song, but to Lyra... all that she heard was a constant stream of squawks and screeches.

"Salvatore, not now..." She lifted a hand in a feeble stop-gesture, and let it fall back on the bed, and yelped as her hand hit something sharp. She sat up, sticking her pricked finger in her mouth, and glared at the offending object.

One look, and the glare was gone.

Placed upon her blanket was a red rose bud, and a folded piece of paper was underneath it. Moving the flower aside, Lyra picked up the letter and unfolded it, her blue eyes scanning the contents.

The room was silent for a while, even Salvatore had stopped his song, and then Lyra's face broke out in a wide grin. The fox, although awkward in person, had certainly left something behind for her to remember the year by. And, picking up the rose so she could find a vase to put it in, she put the letter on the stand where the lovebird's cage was. The lovebird cocked his head and clambered down, then stared at the words on the paper.

With a puff of pride, the bird nodded his brightly-colored head; he had chosen right for Lyra after all... the girl's mother would be proud of him.

Replies to Reviewers!

Pegacorn: I know I sent you an e-mail about it, about how Mara's name is Western, and I had no idea about the Japanese meaning. To anyone else who is reading this chapter, I stress this point: Mara's name is Western! Like her mother's! Don't look it up in a Japanese-to-English dictionary unless you wish to be scarred!

Azuredragoness: Glad to know you want to kill Givanni so badly, and about your sympathy for Kuwa-kun. I shall make Kuwabara fans out of all of you yet. ::cue evil cackle::

Ryuu no Furui Yami: Yes, it can bite when you are right about stuff like that, but... eh. shrugs Oh, about the leaves: I was tired and braindead... also, I'm not good with previews. So, shoot me, if you must. (Hey, about the character you want, I can come up with a fairly interesting one. Originality is the key. )

Thank you all for reviewing. I'm sorry this took so long to finally finish, but I'm grateful to all of you who took your time to read this. This story has certainly been... well, interesting seems to fit well, ne? But, never fear, a bloopers/ behind the scenes chapter shall be up as soon as I get back home from California. Until then, I am taking a quick vote for a favorite academy teacher, student, and overall original character, respectfully, and am taking questions for them.

Perhaps a sequel is in order, hm?


	44. Bloopers section

Well, here we go, folks. The bloopers/behind the scenes chapter...

Enjoy, minna-san.

Chapter 2: Ryo's disguise

Yusuke: ::pokes sleeping Ryo:: Hey, old man, you okay?

Old man Ryo: ::head falls off and rolls across the floor, finally coming to a rest by the bat hutch, where his eyes open and close wildly and mouth starts moving. From the neck protrudes a number of snapped wires and cables::

Yusuke: OO Th-that's not supposed to happen... is it?

Chapter 2: Hiei's first lesson

Djornn: ::brings out stack of papers:: Alright, Hiei, begin! ::tosses papers in air:: Ow! Dammit! ::sticks finger in mouth::

Hiei: Hn?

Djornn: Damn papercuts... ::puts band-aid on finger:: the pain... ;.;

Chapter 2: Hiei's first lesson, take 3

Djornn: Begin! ::tosses papers in air, and the wind catches them, blowing them back and plastering against the centaur's face::

Hiei: -.- ::begins making origami cranes out of papers::

Chapter 2: Hiei's first lesson, take 12

Djornn: ::now with band-aids covering paper cuts on both hands:: O-kay! Let's try this again!

Hiei: ::Now standing amidst a pile of origami cranes that reaches his elbows:: About time.

Djornn: Yes, well... begin! ::tosses papers and they fold correctly, without giving the centaur a paper cut, and fly around::

Hiei: And that took, what, a dozen attempts?

Djornn: At least it worked.

Paper airplanes: ::fly for a while, then turn back and chase Djornn::

Djornn: O.O;;

Hiei: ::watches:: this is amusing

Chapter 12: The Spring Spirit encounter

Spring Spirit: ::Turning to Youko Kurama:: You never learn, do you?

Y.K: ::looks agitated and growls:: What do you mean by 'I never learn?'

S.S: ::sighs and shakes head:: You really should stop using the hair products you have now... ::bends down and examines a bit of the fox's hair:: Oh, my... you have split ends...

Y.K: OO Oh, hell no!

Chapter 12: Chaaarge!

Y.K: Kit?! ::charges at Spring Spirit::

S.S: -.- Idiot. ::Raises shield at last second, smacking Y.K in face:: ::laughs:: Serves you right, fleabag!

Chapter 16: Suzuka's class

::Suzuka is going through the class rules when...::

Justin: ::under breath:: Blow it out your rear, jackass...

Suzuka: ::Evilly smirks and pulls cord that comes down from ceiling. There is a surprised yell, and the teacher is missing::

Yusuke: What the..? ::comes up to front of class and sees Suzuka fighting off ravenous alligators::

Suzuka (from down in alligator-pit): Who the ::gasp:: changed the frea- ::cough, splutter, choke:: the goddamn lever?!

Justin: ::innocently coughs and smiles behind hand::

Chapter 18: Felicia, take 4

Yusuke: Look, we're just here 'cause Ryo is our teach-

Felicia: Y-you know him? ::looks up and eyes widen:: You really know Ryo?

Yusuke: Uh... yeah...

Lyonell: ::to Rogerik:: This is gonna turn ugly...

Felicia: :: Grabs Yusuke by the shoulders and starts shaking him:: Well, man, tell me where my darling is! Tell me, goddammit!

Yusuke: ::proceeds to die from brain hemorrhaging::

Chapter 18: trip down the stairs, take 1

::Lark walks down hall with a cup of coffee, and passes Rogerik without notice. The thief looks confused and grabs her arm, and she turns on him::

Lark: You perv, back off! ::splashes Rogerik with hot coffee::

Rogerik: ::Goes running off camera and finds an ice-bucket to stick his head in::

Kurama: (from off camera) Uh, Lark, break time is over...

Lark: ::looks over at Rogerik, who is receiving medical care from the paramedics handily parked nearby, and blanches.:: Uh, oh... oh god... Rogerik! ::waves hand to get Rogerik's attention:: Rogerik, I'm SO sorry!

Chapter 19: trip down the stairs, take 4

Rogerik (finally healed and restored after traumatic scalding-coffee incident): ::looks over to see Lark start to go down stairs, and accidentally gets bag hooked onto stairway railing:: oo

::Lark doesn't know what's going on and continues to fall... and a ripping noise is heard::

Cast: OO

Victoria (Victor): Whoo! Go on, Rogerik! Take the rest off! The pants were a good start!

Rogerik: ::currently hiding behind trash barrel in his boxers:: The crap I go through for the damn writer...

Chapter 19: Holly and Lark, take 1

Holly: ::follows Lark:: Hey, c'mon, wait up!

::Lark gives Holly the cold shoulder and continues walking::

Holly: Tell me what's wrong; I won't laugh, I promise.

Lark: ::sighs:: If you really must know... ::whispers into Holly's ear, and the witch's eyes go wide::

Holly: N-No way! Lark, how could you!

Lark: ::looks ashamed and nods head:: I guess I've felt that way since I first met him...

Holly: It sickens me to no limit! How dare you say Kirk Kolbain faked his death! ::goes on long rant about how unbelieving the world has become::

Lark: - -;; Uh, Holly... I was joking, you know... you can stop now.

Chapter 30: Café date

Lyra: Kurama, maybe you should take a vacation, or relax...

::Manhole cover is suddenly blown up in air and crashes through the two's table:: Lyra: ... or not...

Yes, well, that was fun, ne? Now, special stuff/extras! Including the results of the mini-poll that was held last chapter, reader questions and FAQ's, and my own faves. And... the listing for the Cumulus Academy soundtrack!

Reader poll

Favorite teacher: Shikyo (by default, man. It was the only vote in this category. But... since the creator of Shik hasn't been around for a while hintIMmedammit!hint, he doesn't have to know.)

Favorite OC: A tie between Koryu and Salvatore.

Author's faves

Favorite teacher: Suzuki makes a mean teacher... it suits him, and I wouldn't argue with him about it.

Favorite Student: Lyonell. He's so cyute!

Favorite Reader-sent OC: Tie between Shik and Aki. They're both fun to write. (but I liked 'em all, really! Thanks you guys!)

Favorite familiar/pet: Bones. 'nuff said.

Favorite overall OC: Tie between Victoria (Victor) and Lyonell. Lyonell's a whiny brat, but a fuzzy one at that; and I've always had a thing for cross dressers...

Cumulus Academy soundtrack

Opening theme:

Wild Child - Enya (Opening Theme)

Bad Day - Fuel

Start The Commotion - Wise Guys

Walking Away - catch twenty-two

This old Town - Counting Crows

Schooldays - The Runaways

Giving Up, Giving In - catch twenty-two

The Great Beyond - REM

Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns n' Roses

Don't want to Grow Up - Simple Plan

99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger

Real Me - Ayumi Hamasaki

Kidokorone doze - (composed by ) Takefumi Haketa

Take it outside - Barenaked Ladies (reminds me of Rogerik. )

I want you to want me - cheeptrick

No Rain - Blind Mellon

12:51 - The Strokes

Wine-stained lips - catch twenty-two (ending theme)

Well, that's it for now. Feel free to leave a suggestion for a song in my e-mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What the heck/ crud / in the name of Christ/ random other expletive is Koryu?

A: I don't know, exactly... he was an innocent little random creature, that, after a fall in Lark's little broth, became horribly twisted and mutated. Or maybe the stench accidentally summoned him from another realm? Either way, he escaped, grew bigger, ate some reversal potion (by accident), and became Lyra's self-appointed guardian. Still, he's cute, ain't he?

Q: How old is Salvatore?

A: Well, all things will be revealed in time. By the bird's own opinion, he's been around at least since before Lyra's mom went missing, and perhaps even longer. Hang around a bit more, and you'll find out.

Q: What was Kyuro before he was bound?

A: Kyuro was a demonic cat lord. But, since that was a couple of millennia ago, no one really remembers what happened.

Q: What was that weird crystal/pendulum thingy Lyra used to do?

A: Actually, that weird crystal/pendulum thingy was a scrying method - or something like a dowsing rod. There are books about it, and pendulums are also a trusted method of fortune telling and truth-telling.

Q: Can you simplify the actions leading to Givanni's plot?

A: Givanni was appointed headmaster, but something persuaded him to rise an army of undead monsters, and destroy the stopper that would keep these minions from spilling out into the world. Apparently, he wants to control Spirit World. (more will be explained, in the sequel)

Q: What possibilities will the sequel hold?

A: We delve into Kyuro's past, Givanni's reason for his take-over will be shown, a strange boy will develop a crush on a certain young girl, and threaten the close friendship between her and another. Kurama and Lyra might get a boost in their relationship, too. Also, be ready for a kick in the seat when things really start rolling. Ah, and Michealangelo returns!

Q: Was writing this story hard?

A: No, ya think?

Q: Finally, what other stuff are you planning on working on?

A: The sequel, of course. That and a delightful little fic called "Until the Sun Rises" which features our favorite muse, Grim! Read it whenever I post it. Ah, and Fangirlitis-buddy and I are planning on doing a co-authored fic sometime soon...

Now, I'm not good at emotional stuff, but... you guys have been great. I hope you'll read the next installment, and continue to review and leave comments. Your reviews and such helped me out when I was about ready to murder this thing in a most gruesome manner with a spork, and I promise I won't take any month-long breaks. No, siree...

Oh, and sorry if the spacing is all screwed up... for some reason my computer keeps making borders and I can't delete them... ;; See you guys later.


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